<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Take and Hold by Hardshocker</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29605689">Take and Hold</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hardshocker/pseuds/Hardshocker'>Hardshocker</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ellie Mawker - Freeform, F/F, Melodrama, Romance, Sam Shore - Freeform, Yearning, f/f - Freeform, young adult</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:54:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>28,743</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29605689</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hardshocker/pseuds/Hardshocker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When forced to go to dinner with the son of her father's business partner, she decides she's had enough and decides what she wants matters more. In the process of walking away from dinner she finds something she does want.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ellie Mawker/Sam Shore</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Rush</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The sounds of rain all around provided a nice calming sound to Ellie. Sure, she was getting soaked head to toe and she had to walk out on a forced date, but at least the night was peaceful. No sounds of the ever grating voice of Todd Barlon pounding off her eardrums to annoy her. Just the sounds of little drops of water tapping onto the ground. Well, there were the sounds of her heels hitting the ground while she marched home, but that was a small price to pay to avoid being in the same car with that insufferable man. If you could even call him a man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellie could have been at home, relaxing in a huge bath filled with warm water and music playing from her favorite playlists. No doubt it would be the first thing she did when she finally got home. If she ever got home. At this rate, she probably wouldn’t even get home until three in the morning. Her feet were killing her but she didn’t want to walk barefoot on the soaked sidewalk. Who knew what could be in the puddles she had to walk through? Ellie sure didn’t and she didn’t want to risk stepping on anything sharp or pointy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was maybe only a fifth of the way home before a silver sedan pulled up next to her with its window rolled down. “Ellie! What the hell are you doing?” That grating voice was now back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Going home, Todd! Leave me alone,” Ellie yelled back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you know how pissed they’re going to be if they find out I let you walk home in the rain? Get in the car!” Todd ordered. Ellie knew it wasn’t out of the kindness of his heart. Only out of the urge for self-preservation to make sure his father won’t berate him for letting his business partner’s daughter get soaked completely on what was supposed to be a very pleasant date. Ellie also knew that it would be far from pleasant because she never got along with Todd and despised his typical tail-chasing tendencies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellie started walking along the sidewalk again. “You should have thought about that when you started asking the waitress for her number,” she called back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just like Ellie thought he would do, Todd started slowly following her in his car. “Don’t act like you’re jealous or something! You never were interested in me so why would it be a problem if I flirted with some waitress?” Todd asked from the comfort of his car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellie finally stopped and turned to his window. “Because it makes me look bad if my ‘date’ completely ignores me and blatantly hits on the waitress with complete abandon,” Ellie explained, all patience lost. “Now leave me alone and go home to grovel to your father like I know you will!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what? You going to go cry to yours that I didn’t treat you like a princess?” Todd fired back. Ellie chose to just roll her eyes and turn back to continue her walk home. She hoped that would be the end of it and that Todd would just give up and go on his own. Things were never that easy though. Even through the rain, Ellie could hear the anger induced thump of a car door and feet stomping through puddles “Ellie!” Todd shouted. Before she could even tell him to leave her alone for the third time, she felt her arm being yanked from behind. “Just get in the car!” Todd yelled while attempting to drag Ellie into the car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellie tried to pull back but it was difficult for her in the heels she was wearing. “Let go of me, you idiot! I’m not getting in that God damned car!” She shouted, placing an arm around a nearby parking sign to keep him from being able to pull her any closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s your problem?” Todd said. He was putting more force into each attempt at pulling Ellie. The arm she was using was starting to hurt more and more as the metal pole started to bite into her skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop pulling me you idiot!” She shouted. “You’re going to rip my arm off like this!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then stop acting like a five-year-old and get in the car so I can take you home,” He said. It would have sounded like a helpful offer to anyone if they didn’t also see the mass amounts of force he was using in his attempt to pull Ellie. She kept struggling but each tug would make her heels slip a bit more and her arm was starting to slip off the street sign.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, asshole!” A girl's voice yelled out loud. Todd suddenly stopped pulling Ellie’s arm to look at who yelled at him. When Ellie looked she noticed that a second car had pulled up behind Todd’s with a figure standing somewhere in the blinding headlights. “Let her go or lose the hand!” The figure said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t any of your business!” Todd shouted back. “I’m just trying to get her home and she’s being a pain in my ass.” The girl started running up and out of the beams of her car’s headlights. She didn’t seem very intimidating at first but the knife in her hand sure was, because Todd immediately let go of Ellie’s arm and started backing away with his hands held up. “Hey, hey! I wasn’t trying to hurt her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh I’m sure,” the girl replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Todd shook his head. “That’s not it I swear! We were on a date and I need to get her back so her dad won’t get mad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellie’s apparent savior wasn’t willing to listen to what Todd was saying. “Just step away and drive off. If you try anything this is going straight into your chest!” To drive her point home, the girl started taking small steps toward Todd to force him away from Ellie. Todd took the suggestion and ran around his car as fast as he could and yanked his door open. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine!” He shouted. “Have fun with that spoiled brat you crazy bitch!” Todd then jumped into his car and started driving off before he even closed the door. The car sped off down the street and turned a corner a little too fast only to disappear completely out of Ellie’s sight. The girl that saved her was still tensed up until she also decided it was safe and immediately dropped her arms into an exhausted state. She started breathing like she was calming herself down while carefully closing and putting her knife away in her back pocket. Ellie was left wondering if that all really happened, though the adrenaline rushing throughout her body was saying it was all real. What was she going to do now? There was no way that this whole event wouldn’t get back to her Father and, while he would be understanding of it being a bad date, he wouldn't be happy at all with Ellie somehow getting his business partner’s son threatened at knife point. Tomorrow was going to include a long phone call with her father if she had to guess, along with being forced to apologize to Todd. She probably should make sure she had some headache medicine at the ready.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” A voice said, breaking Ellie out of her thoughts. She quickly snapped her head towards the girl who had driven Todd off. Apparently the girl had shaken off whatever adrenaline she also had. She was also completely soaked, like Ellie, at this point. “You okay?” The girl asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellie was confused on why the girl asked until she started to feel the soreness in the arm she had wrapped around the pole. “Yeah, yeah…” Ellie replied while she started to rub her arm. “Didn’t expect him to act like that..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t expect a thug to kidnap you while you wandered the streets late at night in the rain?” The girl asked, obviously confused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellie realized how that sounded. “No, no. He was telling the truth. We actually were on a date but it was pretty terrible..” Ellie explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl’s face turned into one of shock. “Wait, I actually held your date at knife point? I thought he was just some guy trying to kidnap you!” She turned around and leaned onto the hood of her car. “Oh, God.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Ellie said to ease the girl’s anxiety. “I really didn’t want to go with him. I’m sure you’ve figured it out by now but he really was a jerk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds like a bit of an understatement from what I saw, but okay,” The girl replied. “At least I did actually help instead of assaulting someone’s boyfriend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s definitely not my boyfriend,” Ellie corrected.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl seemed like she wanted to laugh at that with a small smirk replacing her previous worry. “I figured,” She said but then her face changed to another, confused expression. “So… Do you have a way home or are you just going to keep walking in the rain? We’re both kinda getting soaked while we’re standing here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellie had forgotten that she still needed to get home. Her house was at least a mile away still and the rain wasn’t letting up anytime soon. Combine those two with the heels she was wearing and Ellie could already feel her feet starting to scream. “Right,” Ellie started. “I guess I need to start walking now so I can be home before it gets too late.” She wiped a mass of wet hair off her cheek and turned to start back down the side-walk. “Thank you for the help though. I don’t have anything to give as proper thanks-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to give me anything,” The girl said, cutting Ellie off. “I’m just happy that I was around and actually able to do something about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellie gave the girl a last look and smile then started to walk off. It was then that Ellie started to realize just how long she would be walking as the sidewalk stretched on and on. There were also tons of deep puddles waiting for her that she had no desire to fall into despite being completely soaked already. Dread was seeping into her mind with every step she took, but she decided to push through it anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellie made it maybe half-way down the block before she heard the sound of someone running through the puddle she just walked through. “Hey!” It was the girl’s voice. Ellie turned her head to glance behind her. The girl was running up to Ellie without even trying to avoid the deep puddles. Her wet hair kept slapping against her face and there was no way it was comfortable to run in the wet jeans she was wearing. Just for the girl’s convenience, Ellie stopped so she wouldn’t have to keep running. When she stopped she had a good chunk of her hair still stuck against her cheek and had a look like she didn’t know what to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need something?” Ellie asked while the girl took a second to clear her face. When she managed that, she started looking around anxiously. Those few seconds dragged on awkwardly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want me to take you home?” The girl blurted out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellie was actually surprised by the sudden offer. She wasn’t used to strangers actually being nice without some ulterior motive. After a few seconds of thought, Ellie shook her head. “No. You’ve already helped out enough. I’ll be fine by myself,” Ellie explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl seemed surprised by the denial. “Are you sure? I’d feel bad if I let you walk home alone like this after helping you earlier…” There was what seemed like an actual look of concern on her face. It wasn’t something Ellie was used to seeing anymore. Ellie looked down the long dark path she was about to walk and back at the girl’s concerned face. Ellie ran through many possible scenarios that could happen but she gave up on it quickly due to exhaustion with a heavy breath of resignation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, yes. That would be really helpful,” Ellie admitted. The girl’s face lit up a bit at her offer being accepted. “I just really am ready to get home,” Ellie added quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No problem!” The girl said happily. She turned and started walking back down the sidewalk toward her car. Ellie guessed that she was meant to follow along and started walking too. The walk back to the vehicle didn’t feel as long as the walk away even though the ache in her feet seemed to exponentially grow the closer she got.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They got within a few feet and the girl reached up with her keys out and clicked the lock button for the car. Its headlights turned on immediately like it was excitedly welcoming its owner back. The girl hopped off the sidewalk to walk around to the driver’s side door while Ellie instinctively went to the passenger side. The girl jumped in without problem but when Ellie opened the door and looked at the seat, she was reminded of her current state of being soaked head to toe. “Don’t worry about the seat!” The girl said, noticing Ellie’s hesitation. “It's cloth so it’ll just dry out tomorrow when the sun finally comes out.” One final look down the street solidified in Ellie’s head that getting a car seat a little wet was better than whatever could be down the dark streets. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sitting down into the seat and closing the car door was comforting to Ellie though. She was now officially separated from the rain and the world. Though Ellie could still hear and see the rain hitting the windshield with muffled little drops, it was oddly calming for her. The engine started up and the center console started lighting up with pale little digital screens for the radio and air conditioning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So..” The girl started. “Where do you live? Nearby or something?” She asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellie shook her head. “Do you know where the Mawker’s house is?” Ellie asked. The girl seemed to think for a second, like she was trying to rack her head for the information. Finally, her face lit back up with a smile. “They’re the big wig people, right? Huge house with a fancy gate with all the designs?” Ellie nodded her head. “You in that neighborhood a few streets away?” Ellie sighed. She knew she had to mention it at some point of the drive but she guessed just getting it out of the way at the beginning would be best.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well my name is Ellie,” Ellie explained. “Ellie Mawker…” Ellie could see the gears starting to grind and screech as the girl slowly realized what she just said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ohhh,” The girl finally let out. “That’s super cool! My parents are gonna love this story! ‘Hey, Mom and Dad! I saved a family member of one of, if not the richest, families in town from being kidnapped! Cool, right?” Ellie actually felt a tinge of a laugh trying to escape her throat before she shut it back down completely. The girl didn’t notice though but instead her face pulled a surprised look and her head dropped onto her steering wheel. “Oh God, I just held up another rich person at knife-point like I was going to mug him… wonderful…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine,” Ellie said in an attempt to comfort the girl’s stress. “You actually did help me. Plus, Todd isn’t going to do anything. He’s more cowardly than what he showed earlier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That seemed to raise the girl’s spirits a bit to the point where she lifted her head and quickly chuckled to herself. Finally, she reached for the shifter and put the car in drive. They slowly started off from the curb and the buildings started to slide by Ellie’s vision.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, right! I’m Sam, by the way,” The girl quickly said out loud. “Technically, it’s Samantha but I’ve always found the ‘antha’ part a little…” Ellie saw her face scrunch a bit to figure what she wanted to say. “A little weird, I guess? Too perky? That make sense?” She asked Ellie. Sam’s face even turned a bit to see Ellie’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellie didn’t actually have an opinion on the name really. She had met a few different Samanthas throughout school who never had problems with their name. “I guess?” Ellie tried as a response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam just laughed at the response. “Yeah, my parents don’t get it either. Names are weird.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellie had a thought that surprised herself. Before she could clamp down on it she was already speaking. “Well, technically, my actual name is Elizabeth…” She offered to Sam. Ellie didn’t know why she did it but she just felt like she needed to, or wanted to, give this girl that kind of info. In fact, Ellie rarely ever talked about her full name. Maybe there was a feeling of solidarity in the fact that they both went out of their ways to shorten their names from something they didn’t necessarily like. Sam though, seemed like she skipped over the thought process Ellie just had and was smiling to herself. Her hand even went up, palm out, toward Ellie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s cool! Short name club high-five!” Sam excitedly said. Ellie was never really one for ‘high-fives’ or anything similar but she entertained Sam’s enthusiasm with a soft pat from the palm of her own hand. In fact, she was already feeling better about the decision to take the ride home instead of being alone in the streets.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Woah... I always forget how massive this gate is,” Sam said. They had finally arrived at Ellie’s home. The ride was mostly quiet throughout. Sam had seemed to be fine with not having to make conversation and Ellie was thankful for it. Socialization was not her strong point if she wasn’t forced into it by her parents or circumstance. Plus, after tonight, Ellie felt content with just enjoying the view of rain from inside the car. Sam didn’t even turn the radio on so it was almost completely quiet aside from the car and noise of the road but Ellie was used to cars that put a lot more emphasis on being quiet inside and softer for the passengers. “Do I just pull up to that little box over there?” Sam asked, throwing a questioning look towards Ellie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Ellie confirmed. “You press the asterisk button and then the code. It’s four, three, seven, one. The gate opens inward so you won’t have to move to let it open.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Got it!” Sam said, giving Ellie a thumbs up. The car slowly creeped up to the security box and Sam unclipped her seatbelt to get ready to lean out the window. It was something Ellie was used to herself due to being slightly shorter than most others. Sam then looked at her with a smirk. “Think I can do it all fast enough without getting soaked again?” Sam asked. It was a dumb attempt at humor but Ellie got the urge to take the bait all the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, your hair is still wet and I doubt your clothes have dried already considering mine are still damp,” Ellie said. Then Sam did something Ellie wasn’t even expecting in response to her dry statement. She laughed. Ellie wasn’t even trying to make a joke, just pointing out the flaw in Sam’s challenge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve got a point!” Sam said. She then turned back towards her window. “Well, nothing left to lose then!” She rolled her window down and quickly leaned out of it, reaching for the box. The sound of the rain had gotten a lot louder with the window down and a ton of drops were already bombing their way through the opening. “Oh crap! Ellie!” Sam yelled back into the car. “I accidently hit two instead of one! I didn’t accidently set an alarm off, did I?” She asked. Ellie rolled her eyes at that thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only if you make that mistake four more times,” Ellie explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gotcha!” Sam said back. A few seconds went by before Sam dropped herself back into her seat and put the window back up as quickly as possible. “Got it on the second try!” She said proudly. Ellie didn’t have to make sure because the gate started opening slowly to allow them in. When the opening was large enough, Sam started driving her car through it and up the long, paved path leading to what Ellie had always felt was too large of a house. As they got closer Sam seemed to get more intrigued with it. Then at the point where the drive splits into two to allow for the circle drive that led in front of the main doors, Sam stopped the car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why’d you stop here?” Ellie asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam gave Ellie a nervous smile. “So, this kind of life isn’t really my thing. Which side am I supposed to drive up?” Sam asked, completely serious. That was the straw that finally broke Ellie.  She just started laughing at the sheer genuine confusion Sam showed at such a plain thing. That Sam believed that even something as normal as a driveway had a special way it had to be navigated in. It went on for only maybe ten seconds but Ellie felt a lot better about the night after that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellie got herself situated and started wiping her eyes. “It’s just a driveway Sam,” Ellie said with little remnants of laughter trying to poke their way back out. “Either way is fine.” Sam seemed a little confused at Ellie’s outburst but she kept her smile. “Cool. Either way works just fine with me,” Sam said and started up the right side of the driveway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellie was finally home after such a long night. She thought she was only going to ignore Todd and eat some decent food for the sake of her Father. Now she was in a stranger's car feeling a lot better than she did before going out. Now all that was left was for her to take a shower and hopefully pass out easily onto her bed. Maybe she could get a good amount of sleep in before her father started bothering her when he inevitably finds out what happened tonight. For now though, Ellie just wanted to concentrate on the front doors that glided into her view out the window of Sam’s car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellie guessed that Sam chose this way so Ellie was closer to the front door. It was just another kind gesture that the girl seemed to come into naturally.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for helping me like this,” Ellie said. She looked from the window to Sam, who had a silly smile on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like I said, I’m just glad I was able to help out,” Sam quickly replied, though a guilty expression appeared through her smile. “I’ll be honest… I nearly just drove by. You know, ‘Not my business’ and all of that…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t have blamed you for it,” Ellie said sadly. Truth be told, Ellie probably would have drove by without a second thought. She wasn’t strong or big or intimidating in any way. Maybe she would have entertained the idea for a second, but after that, who knows? It wasn’t an attitude Ellie was exactly proud of. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam just shrugged. “Maybe, but I would have felt bad. I just really wanted to help you out.” Warmth piled in Ellie’s chest at Sam’s admission. A feeling she associated with memories she had of her family from years ago, before they all became distant with each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then thank you again,” Ellie said earnestly. She shifted a bit and put a hand on the door of the car to open it. “I’m happy to have met you, though I think it’s time for me to get home. I’ve probably kept you from whatever you were out doing long enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellie pulled on the door handle and felt the whole door unlatch itself. Small drops of water hit her hand from the tiny crack that formed. “Wait!” Ellie was about to give a final push and jump into the rain but Sam’s sudden outburst stopped her. She turned back and saw Sam fumbling about through a little compartment with a small scrap of paper in her hand. Ellie was confused at what she was doing and waited despite the rain that threatened to leak into the car. Finally, Sam produced a pen and scribbled something onto the paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She put her hand out and offered it to Ellie. “Here,” Sam said with her eyes awkwardly turned to the side. “Just in case you need my help again…” Ellie slowly took the scrap and glanced at it. It was a phone number with Sam’s name written under it. Samantha Shore. The warmth in Ellie’s chest quickly knotted into itself when she realized what Sam was doing. She didn’t show that change on her face though. Instead, Ellie smiled at Sam and put the scrap into the small little satchel that held her wallet and phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll make sure to keep you in mind then,” Ellie said. Sam finally looked at her, silly smile and all. Now it was time for her to make her leave. The night was getting to her and her body was starting to complain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellie turned back and pushed the door open. Quickly, she hopped to her feet and closed the car door behind her without looking back. Her keys were already in hand by the time she rushed to the main door of her home and she even managed to get them into the lock on only the second try. The door swung open and Ellie stepped in quickly before the rain could ruin any of the drying progress she made while in Sam’s car. When she turned around to close the door before she let more water in, she noticed that Sam and her car were still waiting right there. Like Sam was making sure that Ellie got in her house safely before leaving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe Sam was actually doing something else though. Since Ellie could barely even see into the car itself through the rain, it was hard to tell for sure. She stuck with her original thought though, as it left her with a smile. Just in case, Ellie made a small wave to the car. To her surprise, the window rolled down a bit and she saw Sam wave back at her with her own wide smile before rolling up her window and slowly rolling away down the driveway.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Take Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The ringing from her phone kept Ellie from sleeping in like she wanted. She’d forgotten to put it on silent the night before due to falling asleep faster than expected after a very welcome shower. Normally, Ellie would just go over to her desk and turn it to silent if it was being a nuisance but she knew it would be her Father calling about what happened. There was no doubt in Ellie’s head that Todd had already relayed the events to his own father who probably wasted no time to use it as leverage against her’s to get some kind of advantage. Ellie knew well enough not to believe the fake friendships of the business world. Even now, her Father was out in a different city to discuss the possible buyout of a small time medical equipment supplier which was being billed as a “partnership” to the groups who work with them. Supply prices would go up, and conditions or quality would drop at the same rate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie felt she couldn’t complain about the choices her Father made. After all, she was living in his house and being supported by his money while she lay in a bed he bought while the phone he pays for kept ringing from across the room. It just kept going and going. She was even surprised that her Father had enough free time to keep calling like this. Then it stopped. Ellie counted five seconds and it blared back on. It finally got past her mental block and she couldn’t ignore it any longer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The phone was already on the fifth ring by the time Ellie made it off her bed and over to her desk. Sure enough, Joseph Mawker was the name that was plastered across her phone’s screen. It was expected but there was a small hope in the back of Ellie’s mind that it could be someone else. Granted, Ellie couldn’t think of anyone besides her Father who would call her, especially this early in the day. She let the phone blare one last time before hitting the “accept” button.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello, Father,” Ellie calmly said. She then immediately regretted putting the phone close to her ear. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Elizabeth! Why are you just now picking up the phone? I’ve been trying to call you for nearly twenty minutes!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, Father. I was still resting in bed from last night,” Ellie explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t care! When I call you, you are supposed to answer in a timely manner! Especially when I’m trying to figure out what the hell happened last night!” Her Father shouted. “The second my day started I received a call from Todd’s father claiming that not only did you walk-out on him at the restaurant, you also led him to getting mugged by a thug with a knife!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It wasn't a thug. It was a girl my age trying to protect me from Todd,” Ellie corrected. That was a mistake though.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Protect you? You were on a date with him!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie took a moment to breath before her explanation. “I walked out on Todd because he was being disrespectful to me and then followed me with his car. He wanted me to get in just so he could save face with his father and you but I refused. That was when he got out and attempted to drag me by my arm into his car. A very kind bystander saw that and ran in to defend me and force Todd to leave. She then drove me home safely.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie’s father was silent after that explanation before Ellie heard him sigh to himself. “I was not told about him physically grabbing and assaulting you.” He finally said. “I’ll have to discuss that with his father later today. You still shouldn’t have walked out on him, Elizabeth.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He asked for the waitress’ number while I was across from him at the table!” Ellie said in annoyance. Somehow, her father was still making part of this her fault.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t care, Elizabeth. You’re supposed to be willing to help me during your year away from education. I’m allowing you to enjoy a comfortable life so you need to be willing to make a sacrifice every now and then.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not one of your employees!” Ellie argued. He wasn’t wrong. Ellie did agree to help her father occasionally but she figured it would have been stuff to do in the office or running errands. Being made to go on pretend dates was well outside of her expectations. “Asking me to put up with being alone with that dunce is asking way too much of me and my patience!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Elizabeth, you’re smart and can work hard but you don’t have much of any life experience,” Her father started. “I’m just trying to get you ready for what’s in store for you. I’m willing to help you through college, but after that, I can’t do much for you. I have no influence outside my own company.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie knew that was a lie. Her father had a finger or two in many pockets in this city and many others in the surrounding area. In reality, he just didn’t want to help Ellie out of his desire to make her as independent as possible. It wouldn’t look good if his daughter stayed at home all her life and relied on her father to keep her life comfortable. She didn’t have a problem with the intentions but the motivation behind it was what annoyed Ellie. He wasn’t acting like this to support her, he was doing this as a way to keep up appearances. That he could teach his daughter to be as strong willed as him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m aware. You’ve made that clear multiple times,” Ellie said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good,” her Father confirmed. “Look, I have wasted enough time on this conversation. I’ve got to be in a meeting today and I need to prepare. Despite what happened, I’m still expecting you to apologize to the Barlons for what happened. No arguments. I need their business and your ego won’t stand in front of that. Do I make myself clear?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Father,” Ellie agreed. Then there was a tone followed by silence. No goodbyes or anything to show even the most minor amount of affection towards his own daughter. Not even an update on whatever Mother was doing while he worked. Probably off enjoying a high-rise garden or something similar. She always talked about loving gardening and the flowers that come with it, but yet she has not even entered the family’s garden in months.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie was already tired of this day. In fact, she was thankful for the lack of plans she had today. It could give her more time to recover like she wanted before that unpleasant call with her father.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She glanced at her desk, wondering if she had left out anything for her to take care of today. Ellie tended to be tidy so nothing besides her phone, keys, and her little bag that never seemed big enough to hold her wallet. There was nothing that Ellie had to trouble herself with, yet her eyes stayed on the bag. She remembered that little scrap of paper Sam had given her. That little piece of paper that seemed like an afterthought to Ellie had flustered Sam. Ellie figured she would never need it after last night so she put it out of her mind. Now though, her hand was already pulling the bag open to fish for it. It was crumpled a bit since being put in but the writing was still clearly visible. “Samantha Shore,” Ellie said quietly to herself like she was telling someone a secret.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Did she really need Sam’s number? Was Sam expecting to see Ellie again? These questions made anxiety run through her chest. The thought of simply throwing the number away only made it worse. At the very least she should contact Sam to thank her again. After that there wouldn’t be any obligation for Ellie. She wouldn’t have to see Sam or feel the need to say something. Why were the knots in her chest coming back?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie stared at the number for at least ten minutes, locked in a mental argument, trying to decide if she should just go ahead and get it over with. One part of her head told her to just leave it be, while the other half was already putting the number in her phone. It was just a simple text message to say, “Thank you.” It shouldn’t feel like such an enormous task for Ellie. It took a few extra minutes, but she finally had a simple message typed out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Thank you again for the help last night. I’m sorry for the burden it placed on you. -Elizebeth Mawker”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was short, simple, and formal. Just like if she was communicating with her Father’s associates or partners. Now she didn’t need to worry herself over something this simple anymore. Her phone sounded out immediately. Ellie glanced at it, assuming it was an email from Father. A small knot appeared in her chest when she realized that Sam had actually replied instantly. She couldn’t stop her hand from immediately picking her phone back up to read what Sam sent her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re so formal! It wasn’t a burden at all! I wanted to help so I did!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>The message said. Ellie didn’t know what to do. She didn’t intend for her original message to be replied to. Did Sam want her to reply? There wasn’t an obvious reason to do so but Ellie found herself playing a game of mental gymnastics to justify another response. Then another message appeared on her screen. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Also, I thought you preferred Ellie?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sam’s message said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie found herself smiling at how Sam remembered that detail. She decided a simple response wouldn’t hurt. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s because my father’s business sometimes puts me into contact with others who work with him. I’ve always been Elizabeth to most people,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ellie replied. Even that took her a minute to actually hit the send button.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seconds later, another message arrived. Ellie hadn’t even put her phone down. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“That’s dumb. Ellie is clearly the superior name!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sam texted. It was immediately followed by another. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“My class is about to start so I can’t talk now. If you want to, I’ll talk to you later?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It surprised Ellie that Sam was asking such a thing. Though it made her feel better to know that even Sam was unsure about them continuing to talk with each other. She thought for a second about if that was something she wanted. Sam was still mostly a stranger to her. A friendly stranger, Ellie had to admit, but there was always a risk about dealing with strangers. Ellie had been around enough of her father’s friends to know what they secretly thought about her. Yet, Sam never gave that feeling to Ellie the whole time she was in the car with her. She made her decision. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“That sounds enjoyable,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>was Ellie’s response.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Barely ten seconds went by before Sam replied. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Cool! Ttyl!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No other messages came in from Sam after that. Somehow, Ellie just agreed to continue talking with her. And even more, Ellie seemed to look forward to it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The garden was a bit lonely. It was always tended to and properly maintained by the hired landscapers, but after they were gone it was normally left by itself. Ellie’s mother was the one who wanted it. “A passion project,” as she had once called it. Now though, she was never here enough to actually tend to any part of it. Not even the centerpiece that her mother deemed as off limits to anyone without her own permission. It had become clear that her mother’s passion for gardens was not with the actual toiling you had to go through to get to the colorful and peaceful results. Maybe her mother secretly figured that out but just couldn’t admit it out loud. Instead, she travels with father to wherever his work was needed and sought out the gardens of that city to lose herself in them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie took advantage of the abandoned space though. In a far corner, as far as possible from her house, was a small covered area that held a chair and table just for her. It was Ellie’s chosen spot to get away from distractions. She would read, study, or simply just sit and decompress if she was feeling stressed that day. Most recent days, just like today, saw her just reading. It was hard for her to concentrate on her books if she knew there was a possible distraction just within her arm’s reach when she was at her desk. Things like her computer or phone. In fact, she made it a habit of leaving her phone in her room when she was in the garden. This strategy allowed her to get through at least ten books throughout the year. She had definitely fallen off on studying due to taking a year away from being in school. Highschool finished and Ellie had wanted a break. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Today was a bit different. Ellie had been out in the garden to read for at least twenty minutes now but had barely made it through five pages. Probably because she broke her own rule and brought her phone with her. Originally, she was going to leave without it but she remembered Sam’s declaration to talk with Ellie at some point later in the day. She didn’t see it as a big deal, yet she couldn’t bring herself to leave the device behind and potentially miss anything from Sam. Her mind kept wandering from the end of a sentence off the page and back to what she would even talk about like it was a high priority problem. Talking was easy. There were countless meet and greets she had to put up with when she was with her father.  It should just be as easy as that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sharp sound interrupted her thoughts. It was her phone on the table with it’s screen shining brightly. If there was anyone around, Ellie might have been embarrassed about how fast she reached for it. Even more so when she saw that it was only a message from her father. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re going to apologize to the Barlons in person and have dinner with them tonight. 5:00p.m. I expect to hear good things, Elizabeth. Understood?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>It said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie looked at the message with disbelief. Seeing Todd the very next day was not a pleasant thought. She didn’t even attempt to argue since his attitude this morning had made it clear he was not happy with what happened. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Yes, Father. I’ll be there,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She replied before placing the phone down in annoyance. The trend of her father using her to further his own agenda was getting tiring for her. She didn’t have much choice though. He had made that clear already. It couldn’t get any worse, Ellie assumed. Then her phone announced a new message.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t the person Ellie wanted to see a message from. It was Todd this time. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I’ve been told to pick you up for dinner. It wasn’t my idea so don’t complain to me about it,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Todd sent to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie rolled her eyes at the message. It was most likely her father’s idea to make sure she actually went and couldn’t skip out early. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Fine, but you will not touch me or tell me what to do.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ellie told him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Whatever,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Todd quickly replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie wanted to throw the phone but resisted the childish act. Even from miles away that man was just as annoying and insufferable as he was in person. Now she was being coerced into spending another dinner with him? She just wanted to enjoy a summer away from everything, not get dragged back and forth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gathering her things from the small table, Ellie started on a march back to the house. Tossing everything onto her bed, she entered her closet. Her father and the Barlons were going to be expecting Ellie to be dressed to her best. No doubt they would be doing the same themselves. Ellie, on the other hand, had no such plans. She pushed everything that would be deemed “acceptable” by her hosts to the side and opted for a pair of washed out jeans along with a black, slightly baggy sweater that was at least four years old. It was comfortable, simple, and Ellie knew that it showed the complete lack of care she put into it. When getting ready, she made sure to wash her face thoroughly to get rid of any trace of makeup she might have still had on. This dinner was not her idea and she was going to show it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thirty minutes before the planned dinner, the home’s doorbell pulled Ellie’s attention. She had a pretty good inclination of who it was at the door. The second time it rang pretty much proved it as she made her way downstairs and the third ring only proved to annoy her right as she got to the front door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie ripped the door open to a nonplussed Todd Barlon. “You only have to ring it once, you ingrate!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just making sure you wouldn’t skip out on dinner,” Todd said with a smirk. He then looked Ellie over like she was one of his newest targets. “That’s what you’re wearing?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is there a problem?” Ellie asked indignantly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Todd shrugged. “Not from me. If you’re wanting to piss off my parents and your own, then by all means, go ahead and dig that hole yourself. It just means I get to enjoy the show.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie rolled her eyes at his indifference and pushed past him to get into the waiting car. “Let’s just get this over with, Todd,” she said. “I just want to eat and go home.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t forget your formal apology to my parents,” Todd said behind her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie yanked his car door open since she knew he wasn’t going to be kind enough to open it for her. “I’ll keep it in mind. Let’s get this over with,” Ellie said while dropping into the car seat and slamming the door. “Can’t believe I’m in this stupid car again…” She mumbled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What was that?” Todd asked as he finally got in the driver’s seat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing, Todd,” Ellie replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The whole car ride was done in complete silence. Todd apparently got the hint early on that Ellie had no actual interest in him or whatever he could offer. This whole venture was out of obligation to her father, nothing more. Though, Ellie had to switch to a more pleasant personality when they arrived at the front door of the Barlon house. Thankfully, it was Todd’s mother who answered first.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, Elizabeth!” Todd’s mother started. “Todd told me about what happened the other night! I just couldn’t believe what might have happened from such a misunderstanding.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie gave a quick side-eye to Todd before responding. “Yes, yes, Mable. It was quite the misunderstanding. Thankfully, it was all cleared up and no one got hurt.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mable gently took Ellie’s arm and started leading her into the home. “Todd seemed so upset when he came home after dropping you off,” she said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He dropped me off… right,” Ellie agreed. “I’m sorry that I caused so much stress for him. I guess it just wasn’t a good night for me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They entered the dining area with a very nice, dark wood table. Plates and dining ware were placed perfectly on each side. Ellie presumed that she would be made to sit on the same side as Todd. Mable began guiding Ellie to the closest chair while Todd took his spot without any help. “Please, wait right here. Gloria should be done with preparations and Martin should be downstairs any second.” Mable then scampered off into the next room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie looked at Todd with contempt. “You could have told me that you changed the entire story,” she said, barely above a whisper.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Todd pulled his phone out to idly waste time. “I would have been in worse trouble if I admitted to leaving you there with a knife wielding maniac.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She is not-” Ellie caught herself. “Nevermind. You should have warned me before. What if I had mentioned the real version of the story?” She asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Todd shrugged. “You didn’t and now you know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re insufferable, Todd,” Ellie stated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seconds after that last comment, Martin Barlon purposely strode into the room. He was putting off an air of superiority to anyone who would look at him. There was a good reason for it but Ellie refused to buy into it regardless. His continued connections with her father was too important for him for her to fall under his thumb. “Todd. We have a guest. Put your phone away,” Martin commanded the second he saw his son. Then his eyes turned onto Ellie. He eyed her the same way Todd did earlier but didn’t say anything about how she was dressed. “It’s good to see you’re okay, Elizabeth. Pardon me for a moment while I go fetch my wife and then we can start dinner.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie gave him a large smile. “Thank you for the concern, Sir. Please, don’t rush on my behalf,” she said in a tone that only the associates her father got to hear. It was usually enough to keep them complacent when they spoke with her. He gave her another look and walked out of the room. Ellie and Todd then sat in silence next to each other for minutes on end. When Martin came back into the room with Mable, it was a relief. They both began to take their seats as their in-home help, Gloria, entered in with two trays. She placed them on the side table and opened them up revealing four plates, one for each person at the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, Elizabeth,” Martin said as Gloria sat his plate down. “I’m sure your father was quite concerned after last night's events?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie nodded her head. “Yes, he was. The first thing he did this morning was call to check on me.” Ellie gave Gloria a grateful smile as she placed Ellie’s plate down in front of her. “Thank you, Gloria.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Martin kept going despite that. “He’s a busy man, I’m surprised he had a moment to do even that. I’d assume he would have your mother call instead.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mable perked up at the mention of Ellie’s mother. “Oh, yes! How is your mother doing?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s fine, I assume. Probably enjoying some time on a rooftop garden since today seems so sunny compared to last night,” Ellie deflected. The truth was, she hadn’t even seen or heard from her mother in at least a week. The way her father didn’t say anything about her mother told Ellie that she was probably already starting on a new bottle for the day. As long as she didn’t have to see it though, Ellie didn’t care.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hope so! Martin has been so busy lately that we haven’t had time to travel ourselves,” Mable said as Martin nodded alongside with his mouth full.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This dinner had barely even started and it was already wearing Ellie thin. It was all just a show to them. Make nice, be polite, stay friendly and maybe her father might get a price cut. She had no interest in it, yet here she was, participating like a good pawn. Ellie wanted out so badly that she’d be willing to do almost anything to achieve that goal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her pocket vibrated quietly. And just like that, Ellie didn’t care about formalities anymore as an idea of escape popped into her head. Ellie pushed her chair back to stand up. “Please, give me a moment. I think my father just sent me a message and he’ll want me to reply as soon as possible. Sorry about this,” Ellie said and walked out of the room without waiting for a response. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, hoping she would see exactly what she wanted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hey! Sorry about taking so long! Turns out, today was a chore day at my apartment,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>the message on her screen said. It was Sam. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie couldn’t stop her smile as she typed out a response. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s okay. Actually, I may need your help again.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam’s reply was instant. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Really? What’s up?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m trapped at a dinner with a partner of my father’s business and his family,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ellie sent.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh, need to bail? I can help with that!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sam quickly agreed. Ellie quickly typed out and sent Sam the address to the Barlon’s house with instructions on what to do when she got here. She’d been away from the table long enough and headed back into the dining room before any complaints could fielded at her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone was preoccupied with the food but Martin was clearly watching as Ellie walked back in and sat in her chair. Ellie didn’t hesitate to start eating so it was easier to not have to continue the earlier conversation. No one tried either which Ellie was eternally grateful for. She was more than happy to silently sit at this table and wait this whole ordeal out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That silence lasted for around ten minutes before Mable broke the silent agreement. “It’s been, what? Six months since you two started dating?” She said, making Ellie nearly drop her fork. “Have you ever thought about, you know…” Ellie immediately figured out what she was implying and it was nothing good.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh no, no, no! It hasn’t been long enough for anything of the sort!” Ellie quickly replied, trying her best not to sound too insulted. She saw Mable as a nice woman and had no problem with her, but implying that Ellie might marry her ingrate son was a bit much for Ellie to handle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mable just laughed. “Please, Martin and I only dated for three months before we got married. Our honeymoon was incredible!” She then turned to look at Martin. “Wasn’t it, Dear? I loved the view of the ocean from our windows.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Martin nodded. “It was a pretty spectacular view. Worth every penny I put into it.” There was a quick vibration from her phone that made Ellie antsy but Martin didn’t seem to notice. “I could give you some recommendations for locations to go on your honeymoon if you want. I know of a wonderful place in Ireland,” Martin offered. Ellie was getting more and more uncomfortable. It was like they were trying to pressure her into marriage.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another quick vibration from her pocket signaled Ellie that it was time to go. As calmly as she could, she began to stand. “Please excuse me again while I go to the restroom,” she said. A quick turn and a few steps brought her out of the room, freeing her from that miniature hell she was just in. Checking her phone showed that Sam was outside waiting for Ellie. She checked behind herself one last time and headed straight for the front door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Outside, she could see Sam’s car sitting in the Barlon’s driveway with its lights out. Without any hesitation she ran towards the car as its door was pushed open ahead of her arrival. She almost tripped herself just trying to quickly get in the car before closing the door and pulling her seatbelt on. Sam was laughing to herself from the driver’s seat at Ellie’s frantic nature.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ready to go?” Sam asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, please. I can’t stand this place,” was Ellie’s reply. Sam laughed again and put the car in drive. It sped down the driveway and out onto the street away from the house at a pace that just wasn’t fast enough for Ellie’s tastes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where to?” Sam asked as she flipped her headlights back on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anywhere but there or my house.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think I know a place then,” Sam said before turning down a street to wherever she had in mind. Ellie wasn’t picky at this point.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Reactions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A cup of coffee warmed Ellie’s hands. It had a few drops of milk and a tiny bit of sugar which made it a little bit more palatable for her. She took a sip and glanced at Sam who was looking over a menu. Ellie still didn’t really know Sam, but anyone who would help her run from the pressures of her own family couldn’t be all that bad.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you think you can handle at least two pancakes right now? They have a good special on a strawberry and banana stack with hash browns.” Sam put the menu down a bit and looked Ellie right in the eye. It made Ellie anxious.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie looked back down at her coffee. “Maybe most of it. I only ate half my plate back at the Barlon’s,” Ellie explained. She saw Sam shut her menu from the edge of her peripheral and slide it to the side of the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry. I’ll finish off whatever you don’t eat!” Sam decided easily. “I’m hungry anyway. I forgot to actually eat something after doing all of my errands and then, right as I remembered, I started to text you back and then forgot again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie found herself fostering a small smile while looking into her drink. Sam’s ramblings were making the stress that Ellie had slowly go away. Especially as her phone started to vibrate for the probably tenth time since they entered this small diner. She didn’t want to check it. She just wanted to ignore everything from that world right now, even if it included her parents. It was stressful to let it ring but she never actually felt bad about it. Like she was under no obligation to care about their opinions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie just let her mind wander as she watched Sam smile widely at the waitress who had given Ellie the coffee earlier. Sam ordered their food and handed the menu over before turning back to Ellie with that same smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How come you were over there in the first place?” Sam asked suddenly, pulling Ellie’s mind back to the normal world. “After the other night, I figured you wouldn’t be within ten feet of that jerk.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie sipped at her drink again before speaking. “I was told to apologize by my father and have dinner with Todd and his family.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Apologize? He was about to rip your arm off!” Sam exclaimed. Eyes from other late night patrons made their way over to their table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what I told my father but he still had his own plans, I guess…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So he cares more about them than you?” Sam asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie looked at Sam. She had made it this far with such a complete stranger so she figured why stop now? “It feels like it,” Ellie admitted quietly. The look Sam gave her made Ellie regret even saying it. Her problems weren’t ones to dump on someone else. Especially ones of a spoiled rich girl.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “That’s… a feeling I can kind of understand,” Sam said, surprising Ellie. She watched Sam grab her soda and lean back into the soft cushion of the booth they were in. The smile from earlier was gone. Ellie really wanted it back. Sadness was not an emotion that fit very well on Sam’s face. The only problem was, Ellie just didn’t know what to say or do about it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here you go, dears!” Their waitress had arrived just in time with a plate of freshly made pancakes and a side plate of hash browns. Sam’s face lit back up as each plate was set neatly in between the two of them. “Enjoy you two. You both look like you’ve had a bad night.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The waitress then walked off without another word to go tend to the other guests. When Ellie’s eyes came back to the food, she saw that Sam was already digging into the hash browns. Ellie chose to pick up a knife and cut half the pancake stack in half, making sure that there was an even spread of cut up strawberries and banana slices since they were meant to be sharing the pancakes. She would slice off a small bit and top her bite with a slice of banana. It was a stark contrast to the roast Gloria had cooked for the Barlons’ dinner. The little bit of sweetness to each bite was what Ellie really needed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know…” Ellie started while cutting off another piece. “I’ve never actually been here before.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really?” Sam asked with a mouth full of hash browns.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie held back a laugh at the image. “I’ve always gone to Riley’s Experience for things like breakfast.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam swallowed her bite real fast. “That place is expensive, even for just me. Though, after seeing your house, I guess it’s not a big deal for you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe,” Ellie replied, trying to avoid talking about how well off her parents were. “But I think I like this food a lot better.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam snorted a bit. “I hope so. They probably put like twice the sugar Riley’s does in these pancakes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie thought for a second that she should have been concerned with the possible amount of sugar she was eating but then her next bite of a strawberry washed that worry away. “Honestly, I don’t even care at this point,” Ellie said. In return, Sam gave Ellie that wide, silly smile from the other night that put a new knot in Ellie’s chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s the spirit!” Sam excitedly said before reaching over and pouring a large amount of syrup over her own half of the pancakes. She extended the bottle towards Ellie’s but Ellie refused by pushing her hand away with her fork.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“One step at a time, Sam.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam laughed and stuffed her syrup drenched bite of pancakes into her mouth. That’s how things went for the rest of their impromptu breakfast dinner. Idle chit-chat filled the air around their table as they talked about minor things from their life. Ellie learned that Sam was actually living by herself in an apartment only a few blocks away from this diner. Her parents lived one state away in her hometown while she moved away for a chance at a better university. When Sam had asked Ellie about her own education, she had to admit that she was actually taking a year off. Sam had seemed amazed by such an idea. She had always been told by her parents to go straight from high school to college. It just pointed out another difference between the two of them and their lives up to this point.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The night and conversation kept going on. Slowly, Ellie managed to tune her cell phone out until it no longer rang and she could relax. She even managed to finish at least half of her share of the meal before she allowed Sam to take over the rest of it. If anything, Ellie seemed to enjoy watching Sam happily eat the overly sweet mess.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Why had she never had experiences like this before? The lack of stress. No one expected anything from her. It was nice. She even had the ability to just look out of the window without feeling like she was wasting time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s a pretty cool night, right?” Sam asked, breaking Ellie out of her trance. A glance at Sam showed she was also taking a moment to look out of the same window.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A lot better than the other night, I’d say,” Ellie said. She tore her eyes away from Sam and went back to the window. Street lamps, empty streets, and a very clear sky that allowed her to see the waning moon. It felt a lot more inviting than the rain she had dealt with before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is the kind of night I really prefer. Feels super peaceful.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie glanced at Sam. “Is that why you were out late last night?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam nodded. “I like driving around at night. It helps clear my head sometimes,” Sam explained. “No one is around to bug me. There’s no other drivers on the road. Just my music and me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That does sound nice…” Ellie agreed. Sam turned a little to look at Ellie who was caught staring at her. She tried to look away but when her eyes eventually wandered back to Sam, she saw that the girl was just giving Ellie, as she had now decided, her signature smile. Ellie eventually just gave up on fighting it and just let her eyes do what they wanted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey..” Sam said easily. At the same time, Ellie felt her foot being tapped by Sam’s under the table. Ellie pulled her foot back quickly on instinct but Sam didn’t seem to notice. “What’s next on the itinerary?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie pulled her phone out and checked the time. Anxiety started to take over again when she saw every missed call and message from her father. She looked at the time and saw that she had been with Sam for at least three hours. That time had flown by and Ellie simply didn’t notice. After what she pulled, she figured it might be a good idea to finally go back home.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Probably getting back to my house, honestly,” Ellie admitted. The way Sam’s face fell at that was a little tough for Ellie to see.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right. It’s getting late, I guess.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not like I’m trying to get away or anything like that…” Ellie said quickly. “I just know that my father is more than likely not thrilled with what I did.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re really worried about him, huh?” Sam asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie gave Sam a confused look. “Well, yes. Yes I am. Just running off like that reflects poorly on him and could cause problems.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re his daughter though. Not an employee,” Sam pointed out. “Why should you have that kind of responsibility?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam’s point didn’t make sense to Ellie. She had an obligation to help her family, didn’t she? It was something that was always pushed onto her since she could remember. Your family was forever, which meant you were meant to help them despite the sacrifices you may have to make for them. Sam just apparently didn’t understand this mindset. But if Sam didn’t understand this, why did she look so concerned for Ellie?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At that thought, Ellie put her phone away and went to stand. “I don’t really feel like talking about it now,” she said with finality.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam followed Ellie’s lead. “Right, got it. Bad subject. I’ll take you back home then.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Ellie said. She saw that Sam’s mood was still low though. “I really do appreciate what you’ve done… if that helps any.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t quite work like how Ellie expected but she still managed to make a small grin appear on Sam’s face while she walked past Ellie and held the door open for her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The second time arriving at her house in Sam’s car felt a lot more pleasant this time. Maybe it was the lack of rain, or the sweet food that filled her stomach. It could also be Sam singing along terribly with the radio even if she clearly couldn’t hit every note. Sam tried to get Ellie to join in but she just preferred to listen to Sam butcher the top thirty. It was a pretty big difference from how she acted before. Sam was a bit more subdued the other night but now she seemingly was feeling a lot more comfortable about Ellie being around.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That fun moment had to eventually end though. As they crept up to the security box, Sam turned the music down and unbuckled herself to lean through her window. It took nearly a minute of the gate not opening before Sam fell back into her seat. “I’ve tried the code you told me, like, six times, but it's not working,” she explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie’s face scrunched in confusion. “It hasn’t changed as far as I know. It should still work.” Just then, her phone began ringing again. Ellie checked it out of habit and saw that her father had started calling again. At this point, she figured she didn’t have a choice and answered it. “Hello?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I see you finally tried to go back home,” Her father said without any attempt at a proper greeting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I would be at home, but the code for the gate isn’t working.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s because I had it changed, Elizabeth.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie was surprised and confused. Normally she would have been told when such a thing happened, whether it would be her father or her mother mentioning it. “Why? Did something happen?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes,” her father said. “You did.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not sure what you’re saying…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her father grunted. A sign that he had been leaning back whatever chair he was in. “After last night’s incident, and now today’s, I’ve taken it upon myself to teach you some humility.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you’re barring me from my own home?” Ellie asked incredulously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I’ve barred you from my house,” her father corrected. “You’ve gotten a bit too comfortable for your own good.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And what am I supposed to do now?” Ellie asked. She couldn’t believe what he was saying. Kicking his own daughter out because she didn’t want to deal with </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> business partners? It made no sense. It was extreme. It was completely overboard. It was… completely expected of someone like her father.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s for you to decide until I get back.” There was a smirk to his voice that Ellie could easily imagine. “You wanted to be free of responsibility after all.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie felt a spike of anger. “You won’t be back for another three days! Everything I have is in the house! What the hell am I supposed to do?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I figured you had plans for something like this when you started causing problems. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to finish a report for one of my suppliers.” Then he hung up on her without hesitation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie put her phone down and stared through the windshield at the gate that kept her from her own home. Her arms shook and she clenched her teeth together. She was angry and yet a few tears broke free from her eyes. He was her father. How could he pull such a stunt on his own family?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A glance showed that Sam was looking at her with concern. She was showing weakness in front of someone she barely knew. Ellie covered her face like that was somehow going to hide her emotions. What was she supposed to do? Sit outside the gate? Go back to the Barlons and beg to stay there despite abandoning dinner? She couldn’t do that. They would just slam the door in her face without a second thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the middle of her downward spiral, Ellie felt a hand try to touch her shoulder. “Please don’t…” Ellie said through her hands. Sam’s hand pulled away quickly without argument and left Ellie to wallow with herself. This wasn’t how the night was supposed to go. Eventually though, as they sat there at the gate to her house, Ellie started to realize that she deserved this. She had been a problem for her father and others.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are… are you okay?” Sam asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m fine!” Ellie spit out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re crying…” Sam pointed out. Ellie was aware but didn’t want to admit it. It was a show of weakness and a sign of being too vulnerable. “What happened, Ellie?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie took a moment to hold everything in before she said anything. “He… kicked me out…” Ellie’s attempt to sound confident failed. “His own… daughter. I’m his daughter…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What an asshole.” Sam announced. Ellie pulled her hands away from her face to look at Sam. She wanted to reply. Wanted to tell Sam off for insulting her father. She couldn’t do it though. Sam was right. Ellie was amazed that after all these years of dealing with her father, that she didn’t expect this from him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re… you’re…” Ellie’s head dropped back into her hands. “You’re right. God, what am I supposed to do?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s no one else to get help from?” Sam asked. Ellie shook her head. “I guess you could stay at my apartment tonight. So you can figure out a plan or something…” Sam offered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie shook her head once more. “I can’t do that. You’ve helped more than enough.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh please, I helped out when I literally didn’t know a single thing about you. I think it’ll be okay to help out someone who’s a friend at this point.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Friend. Ellie was so caught up in her own problems, she had missed the point where she actually gained a friend for the first time in a long while. Maybe it wasn’t a deep one but it was something. Ellie started to calm back down and wiped at her face. “Is that actually okay? Ellie asked. She felt Sam’s hand rest on her shoulder again. This time around, it felt a lot more comforting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course!” Sam said. “I’ve got plenty of room anyway so it’s no big deal.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie finally was able to smile. “Thank you…” She continued to wipe at her face, making sure every trace of her crying was gone. “On a positive note, I’m glad I chose not to wear any makeup today…” That comment was enough to get Sam to start laughing, and in turn make Ellie also laugh. It lifted Ellie’s spirit tremendously to be able to joke around during such a downcast moment. Even as the laughter petered out, that good feeling didn’t go away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not like you needed the makeup in the first place anyway,” Sam suddenly said, making Ellie quickly turn her head. Sam looked a little embarrassed and started fiddling with different controls in the car. “Yeah, anyway. I guess we should probably go ahead and go before it gets too late. I have classes and all…” The car started backing up back onto the road. The rest of the trip to Sam’s apartment, Ellie didn’t say much else. Occasional glances at Sam seemed to take priority for her. Every now and then, they would catch the other staring.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So, yeah… this is my place,” Sam said as she led Ellie through the door. The complex Sam lived in was actually smaller than she expected. She was used to seeing huge multi-story buildings that claimed nearly two blocks from images online and other forms of media like movies or television shows. Instead, they had arrived at what was just two stories tall and had only two buildings to its name. Sam’s apartment was towards the back and faced toward the trees that were behind the complex itself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Inside the apartment actually seemed pretty sparse. It was clean, thankfully, but there also wasn’t much personalization done to it. There was a couch against a wall with a coffee table to join it while an entertainment center sat across from it on the opposite wall. The odd thing Ellie noticed was that the center was surprisingly empty, as was the side table next to the couch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be honest, I know it’s nothing like your house but I think it’s pretty comfy,” Sam explained. “Would you be okay on the couch?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie eyed the couch to see if it was something that would be comfortable to sleep on. It didn’t seem that bad and Ellie nodded. “I’ll be fine, I guess.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, there’s technically a second bedroom but it’s empty right now,” Sam pointed out, throwing out towards the closed door on the side of the living room with the empty entertainment center.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You live in a two bedroom apartment by yourself?” Ellie asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam turned to turn both deadbolts on the front door. “Well, I had a roommate for a little bit when I first moved here, but he had to move out around a month ago.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you’re paying full rent for a two bedroom apartment by yourself while you’re in school?” It didn’t sound very believable to Ellie since she knew how much living in the city could cost.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam shrugged. “I have a part-time job on the weekend and on Thursday since I don’t have any classes that day, so that helps a bit. Though, my parents did help me a little bit this month…” Before Ellie could even reply Sam started walking toward what Ellie could only assume was her host’s bedroom. “Anyway… do you want some clothes to sleep in? I’ve got spare pants and I’m sure I’ve got tons of spare shirts you could use. If you want to anyway…” Sam offered.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie wanted to say no. She didn’t want pity. At least, that was what she was taught. Sam though, had done nothing but genuinely want to help her this whole time. “Maybe some pants… jeans aren’t that comfortable to sleep in.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam’s mood seemed to pick up a little. “Right, makes sense,” she said as she went into her bedroom. Ellie had the thought to follow but she figured that going into Sam’s room would be stepping out of bounds a bit since she was a guest here. She didn’t have to wait long anyway as Sam came right back out with some plaid sleep pants. “Here’s some. They’re clean and I haven’t worn them in a long time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why’s that?” Ellie asked as she took the pair from Sam’s hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I outgrew them a few years ago. My legs are too long for them now,” Sam explained. She wasn’t wrong. When Ellie unfolded them and held them in front of her, the legs were almost the perfect length for her. Sam was maybe three inches taller than her and her legs definitely matched that. “They’re okay, right?” Sam asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie realized she had been staring at Sam a little too long. She quickly pulled her eyes back to Sam's face and gave her a polite smile. “They’re fine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam nodded and backed up towards her room. “Cool. I’m going to head to bed… classes and such…” She crossed the door frame but then poked her head back out. “There’s blankets on the bottom shelf of the coffee table.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie checked and saw them there, neatly folded and everything. Sam had already gone back into her room before Ellie could even confirm that she found them. “Sam?” Ellie called out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam’s head popped back out. “Yeah?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Goodnight?” Ellie offered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And there it was. That exact smile Ellie really wanted to see again. It was just so genuine that it made Ellie feel a bit better about everything that happened. “Yeah! Goodnight, Ellie!” Sam happily replied and ducked back into her room, this time closing the door behind her.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. A Different Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ellie’s mind kept her up until midnight. The quiet apartment gave her too much time to think about everything. Normally she had music or her television playing in the background as a distraction. It would let her fall asleep easily as she had something to concentrate on. Last night though, she had to force herself to stay still and make herself sleep like it was some kind of test that she hadn’t been warned about beforehand. It was not a very restful sleep for her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she had woken back up in the morning, Ellie was really hoping to sleep in to make up for the late night but the sounds coming from the kitchen distracted her too much. Just like she had told Ellie, Sam was up bright and early so she could be ready for her apparent classes. It had started with the sound of Sam’s shower and now was apparently making breakfast for herself. Every now and then, Ellie could have sworn she could hear her host happily humming to herself. It was a pleasant noise, even if it kept her from going back to sleep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ellie?” Sam’s voice called. “Are you awake yet?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie slowly pushed herself up to look at Sam through the open space that was also a little bar for the living room. She felt groggy and her eyes were still getting used to being open again. A couple seconds of blinking brought Sam’s face into focus, who seemed very amused at what she saw.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Ellie asked just as a yawn pushed its way out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam giggled a bit more. “You’ve got some good bed-head going on.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Confused, Ellie lifted a hand and felt around her head. Sure enough, her hair was extra frizzy and probably had a few tiny knots to work through. Every time it happened, Ellie wondered if she should just cut most of it off like how Sam had hers. “Want a spare brush?” Sam asked from the kitchen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That sounds lovely right about now,” Ellie admitted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gotcha!” Sam said and then quickly bounced from the kitchen into her room. It didn’t take her long to find it as Ellie barely had time to untangle herself from the blanket before Sam was presenting her with a completely clean brush. “Here ya’ go! I used it once but it's more meant for longer hair like yours.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie gingerly took the brush from Sam’s hand. “Why do you have it then?” Ellie asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam shrugged. “I had longer hair when I got it but then I decided to cut most of it off on a whim. I figured short hair works better on me anyway so why not?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took a few swipes before Ellie easily found the first knot in her hair. “Short hair really does suit you,” she said without even thinking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam turned around quickly and went back to the kitchen. Ellie heard the tell-tale sound of jingling keys and plates being put into the sink before the girl came back to the living room. “I’ve got to go before I’m late for class…” She explained real fast. “I don’t know if you’ve figured anything out but you can stay here for a bit if you want…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie stopped her brushing to reply. “I don’t really want to be a burden, Sam…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam held her hands up. “No, no, it’s fine! Really. It’s just that I know there’s not much here to do so it might be a little boring for you.” She pointed out. “I only have one class this morning so it’s not like I’ll be gone all day. Hell, I’ll more than likely be home before eleven. I just didn’t want you to think I was being rude by just leaving you here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh…” Ellie said. “Well, I really do appreciate how you’ve helped me. I’m probably going to try a couple of phone calls to see if I can fix things. That way I don’t have to continue being in your hair,” she admitted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, cool,” Sam quickly responded. “I do need to go now though.” She went to the front door and opened it. Before she left though, Sam turned back towards Ellie. “I, uhh, made some extra eggs and toast and stuff… I didn’t know if you were going to want anything so I went ahead and did it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then, before Ellie had even a chance to reply or say “thank you,” Sam had hurried out the door and closed it behind her. It left Ellie confused on why her departure was so sudden. She put the brush aside and went to the window that overlooked the parking lot below it. Sam could be seen hurrying to her car with her bag in hand. Ellie watched her put the bag in the back seat of her car and shut it. Instead of just getting straight into the driver seat, Sam leaned on her arms against the car. To Ellie, it looked like she was breathing to calm herself down just like when she got done pulling a knife on Todd. There was a minute of that and then Sam finally got in her car and drove off, leaving Ellie alone for however long Sam’s class would last.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What was she supposed to do now? When she checked the time on her phone it said it wasn’t even nine o’clock. She could try calling someone but she didn’t think anyone would be receptive of her calls. Her father wouldn’t even look at the phone if she tried. Though, maybe it was early enough for her mother.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Surprisingly, it didn’t take many rings for her to answer. “Elizabeth?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning, Mother,” Ellie greeted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is quite a rare occasion for you to call me. Usually, it’s me that has to call you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Already her mother was playing that card. “I know, Mother. We can talk later today, if you want.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well why not now?” Her mother asked. “You should have plenty of free time from what your father has told me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie felt her hope drain from her own body. “I guess Father told you what he did then?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You mean his plan to teach you some humility? Yes, yes he did Elizabeth. It’s clearly not working since the only reason you called me was to get the house code from me. Am I right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Mother… you are correct…” Ellie admitted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She heard her mother laugh. “That’s what I figured. Look, I don’t even know the new code so I can’t help you, Elizabeth.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t just not be allowed into my own house!” Ellie argued. “I don’t even have a fresh change of clothes! Or even access to my car! What am I supposed to do?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll survive Elizabeth. Your father already told me he would reconsider everything once he got back home.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie was losing patience. “That won’t be until the day after tomorrow! I can’t stay at Sam’s apartment that long. I’d be a burden…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who is this Sam person? Is he nice?” Her mother asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sam’s a girl, Mother,” Ellie corrected. “She’s… a friend I made the other night. She’s been helpful with everything that’s been going on.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh. And here I thought that maybe you actually were dating someone for once instead hiding away,” her mother said. “Well, at least you made a friend. Maybe this whole experience isn’t as bad as you think.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t be serious about that…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am, Elizabeth. Now look, I need to go. I’ll gladly talk and spend time with you when you actually want to rather than trying to get something from me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mother, you just can’t-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Goodbye, Elizabeth.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie’s chest burned with frustration. Not even her own mother would do anything. All in the name of “teaching a lesson.” She couldn't believe any of this. Was she just supposed to sit here for the next two days, waiting on her father like an abandoned dog? It was preposterous to even suggest such a thing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yet, that was what she did. She even found the plate of breakfast Sam had made for her. A part of her wanted to ignore it. Like she wasn’t worth the effort, but Sam had made it for her so Ellie assumed that she would have been disappointed to see her extra work ignored on the counter of the kitchen. Each bite of it did serve to calm her mind down enough for her to start thinking about what to do.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she went to put the empty dish in the sink, Ellie felt like it would be better to just go ahead and clean them herself.  There was no point in making her host have to do more. If she remembered correctly, Sam had already done enough chores yesterday so what was a plate or two to Ellie? Then plates turned into utensils. Then the pan Sam had used and even the glasses that were off to the side. Eventually, Ellie had managed to work her way through every dirty dish she could find. She just hoped it was a helpful way to pay Sam back for everything. But now Ellie didn’t know what she was supposed to do. She tried just sitting on the couch and browsing her phone but it just felt like she was being a waste of space.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In the end, Ellie decided to take a mind-clearing walk around the apartment complex. It was a bright, sunny day so it didn’t seem like too bad of an idea. Without access to her car, it wasn’t like Ellie could go that far. Plus, she didn’t have a way to lock Sam’s apartment which meant she had to stay close by. It may not be as extravagant as her family’s garden but it was better than being stuck inside with not much to do.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A turn around the end of the building led her to a large space in between the complex buildings. Ellie had surprisingly not noticed the playground equipment in the night when she first got here. She had been understandably distracted by other things at the time. If she hadn’t been, she would have noticed the bright colors of the plastic jungle-gym. It even had a slide that dropped you in a tight circle to the ground where you could easily climb back up at a rock-wall nearby. There was even a little girl about to take the plunge down the slide.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie stopped and watched as the small girl climbed her way up to the slide. The little girl made her way to the top and lined herself up. Most kids would simply sit and slide down like normal. This girl, on the other hand, decided it would be a good idea to jump as high as possible while grabbing the top which made her slam into the slide violently. Ellie had seen plenty of kids do this multitudes of times but the way the girl’s head bumped against the side of the slide was definitely not a normal event. Before the girl even made it to the bottom Ellie could hear her crying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At the bottom, the little girl stopped at the edge of the slide crying loudly and covering her mouth. Ellie glanced around thinking she would see one of the girl’s parent’s running up to check on her but no one else was around besides herself. She looked back to the girl and watched her remove her hand. The girl had done something to her mouth as blood was on her lips and her hand was starting to turn red. Another glance around showed that the girl’s parents were still nowhere nearby so Ellie took it upon herself to go up to the girl and try to help.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Ellie walked up, the girl looked up at her while trying to cover her mouth. It didn’t do much to hide her loud sobs and there was still blood escaping down to her chin. “Are you okay?” Ellie asked the girl. She shook her head so Ellie bent down to get a better look. “Could you let me see what’s wrong?” The girl nodded so Ellie reached a hand out gently to move the girl’s hand from her mouth. Blood covered it so Ellie took the sleeve of her sweater and used it to wipe some away. There weren’t any marks on the outside of the girl’s mouth so something must have happened inside. “Can you open your mouth wide?” In compliance, the girl opened her mouth and Ellie took a quick look inside, making sure not to be too invasive of the girl’s space. From what she could see, the girl had bitten the inside of her right cheek. Ellie pulled back and tried to give the girl a reassuring smile. “I know it probably hurts a lot but I think it just looks worse than it is. Want me to walk you to your parents?” The girl nodded but then looked down and started to cry again. “It’s okay!” Ellie tried. “All you did was just bite the inside of your cheek.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The little girl shook her head. “Mom t-told me not t-to get my new clothes dirty…” She said through a rough bout of sobs. Ellie was confused but understood when she looked down and saw how some of the blood had dripped down onto her pants and the hem of her shirt. “S-she’s going to be mad..”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The image broke Ellie’s heart. This girl was actually hurt but she was more worried about how her mother might get upset with her for getting blood on her clothes. “No, no, no… I’m sure she’ll understand. Everyone has an accident now and then. I’m sure she’ll just be happy that you’re okay! Do you know where she is?” The girl slowly pointed toward a balcony on the far side of the open space. Ellie memorized it and turned back towards the girl while doing her best to keep the smile going. “Okay, good!” She pushed herself back up and offered her hand to the little girl. “Let's get you home so your mom can make you feel better.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl hesitated but ended up taking Ellie’s hand with her free hand. As they walked across the space the little girl’s crying turned to sniffles but kept a hand firmly pressed against her mouth and cheek. Ellie wished she could have done something to make her feel better but all she had was her phone. They made it to the buildings and started up the stairs to the second floor where the girl had said she lived. Her apartment was three doors down, which was a guess made on the location of the balcony the girl pointed out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie knocked. There was no answer. So she knocked again. Again, no one answered. “Is this really where your mom is?” Ellie asked the girl. She quietly nodded. Ellie knocked for a third time with a lot more force behind it. After a minute, the door finally swung open.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you want?” Said the woman who opened it. Her large head of curly brown hair looked heavily unkempt and she didn’t seem too happy about Ellie knocking on her door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, Ma’am,” Ellie quickly apologized. “I was bringing your daughter back. She had an accident on the playground slide…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman finally looked down and went wide-eyed when she realized what was going on. She crouched down to look closer at her daughter. “What happened, Sarah? What happened to your mouth?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On cue, the little girl started crying again and lifted her hand from her cheek. “My m-mouth hurts!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, Sarah... Come here so I can take a look.” Her mother pulled her closer. She gently opened her daughter’s mouth and looked inside. “Ouchies. Looks like you bit your cheek really good.” Her daughter nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-I’m sorry, Mom… I g-got my-my clothes dirty…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A comforting smile immediately plastered itself on the mother’s face. “It’s okay, baby. We can wash them. Everything is okay.” She pulled her daughter into a hug. “Go take those off and get dressed in your pajamas. Make sure to put those clothes into the laundry basket.” Sarah nodded and stumbled off into the apartment. Her mother pushed herself back up to look at Ellie. “Thanks for bringing her back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie subtly shook her head. “It wasn’t a problem. I saw her go down the slide too fast and she hit the side of her head against it. Thankfully, she was able to tell me where you lived,” Ellie explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The mother smiled. “Yeah, she can be a smart cookie sometimes,” she laughed. “Though, I have to admit that I was supposed to be watching her from the balcony…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What happened then?” Ellie asked, though she felt it came out more judgmental than she wanted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I had gone back inside to do something real fast but I ended up falling asleep on the couch…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think I can tell…” Ellie pointed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman lifted her hand to feel around her hair. “Oh shoot! That’s going to hurt so bad when I brush it!” She stepped back into her doorway and started to close the door. “Thanks again for helping my daughter! What apartment are you in?” She asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took a second for Ellie to process the question before raising a hand. “Oh, I don’t live here. I stayed the night at my friend's apartment last night and wanted to take a walk this morning,” Ellie said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah!” The woman said with a knowing smile. “I remember those kinds of mornings.” Finally, she started to close the door fully. “Thanks again for the help! I really appreciate it!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then the door was closed. Ellie didn’t care because her mind was still stuck on the woman and what she insinuated about Ellie’s night. Was she making a joke or was she really just talking about her old days? Ellie honestly couldn’t tell and yet she felt embarrassed by it. She shook the thought out of her head and put the feeling of embarrassment aside. It was time for her to get back or else Sam would think she ran off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was easy to get back to Sam’s apartment from where she was. Ellie was very thankful about the complex’s relatively small size. Unfortunately, Ellie must have spent more time than she thought helping that little girl because Sam’s car was parked back in the same spot it was this morning. Sam wasn’t around though so she must have been inside the apartment already.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Making her way up the stairs and opening the door let Ellie see Sam looking around the apartment without even noticing her. “Sam?” Ellie called, making Sam yell out loud and run into her room while slamming the door behind her. Ellie felt bad for scaring her and tried to go to her door but it was locked. Through the door, Ellie could hear the sounds of deep breathing going on. “Sam?” Ellie said through the door. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie could only faintly hear Sam’s reply through the door. “No… It’s… it’s fine.” It sounded strained to Ellie. “Just… give me… a sec…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t think that she would have scared Sam so badly with the way she called out, especially since Sam knew that Ellie was supposed to be there. She felt terrible about it. What could she do though? If even simply being in someone else’s home was not a normal thing for Ellie? How was she supposed to handle someone going through something only one room away?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was some time later when Sam’s door finally opened. Ellie couldn’t stop her own head swiveling towards her but Sam didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she seemed completely un-phased by what had happened earlier. A smile was stuck on her face as she went into her kitchen and made herself a glass of water. Next thing Ellie knew, Sam was dropping herself onto the couch and taking a huge swig from her glass. After that it was just a bit too silent for Ellie’s liking. She felt like she had to say something.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is.. everything fine?” Ellie tried.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? Oh, yeah, yeah…” Sam said absently as she busied herself to look for what Ellie assumed was the television remote. While she did, she avoided looking towards Ellie. Ellie did manage to catch a glimpse of reddish eyes when Sam turned to move a pillow that the remote somehow managed to get under. When Sam got her hands on it she immediately went surfing through each channel without much purpose. Ellie had done the same thing before when she was just wanting a simple way to distract herself. Usually it also meant that Ellie didn’t exactly want to deal with people so she decided to not say anything else unless Sam herself decided to talk first.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually, Sam decided on a reality cooking show. The contestants raced around constantly, trying to gather everything needed for the dishes that they were told to make this episode. Sam had put the remote down and was just simply watching while completely slumped into the couch. Ellie opted to put a pillow against herself so she could rest that way. Half of the episode went by before Sam finally spoke again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, could you text or call me before coming inside my apartment?” She asked. There wasn’t a hint of annoyance or anger in it though. Just a simple request.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie  didn’t take her eyes off the television to see if Sam was even looking at her. “I don’t mind doing that. I didn’t mean to surprise you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” Sam said quickly. “Thanks, by the way… for cleaning the dishes and such.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nothing else was said and that was how they stayed. Quietly watching cooking shows without saying anything else for a few hours. At least Ellie did anyway. Sam ended up falling asleep after an hour or so. It made a lot of sense to Ellie. She had a class that probably drained her completely. They always did for herself, at least. Ellie was getting hungry though, but she really didn’t want to wake Sam to ask about something so minor. If anything, Ellie preferred seeing Sam sleeping peacefully on her side of the couch. The cooking shows were definitely not helping Ellie out. Every new dish she saw just made her stomach growl in frustration.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a few rounds of that terrible cycle Ellie couldn’t take it anymore and picked her phone up from the coffee table. She searched for and chose the closest pizza place that showed up. Ellie didn’t want to wake up Sam so she ordered through their website rather than calling. In the special instructions box, Ellie wrote, “DO NOT KNOCK! Just send a text to the provided number after being left at the door.” Ellie paid for it with her own card and put her phone on silent. It wouldn’t even vibrate if someone called her. She looked over to check and see if Sam was still asleep. She thankfully was. Though, the angle her head was at was going to leave her with a pain in her neck. There was a small desire to try and move her head into a much better position but Ellie was afraid of Sam waking up and repeating what had happened earlier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took just under thirty minutes for Ellie’s phone to light up and announce that their food was waiting for her at the front door. As gently as she could, Ellie lifted herself off the couch while silently hoping it didn’t wake Sam suddenly and she took each step to the door carefully so the floors didn't have a chance to creak. True to their word, a single pizza in a box was sitting at the door. In fact, the person who probably delivered it was down in a dark gray car. When Ellie clearly looked at them, it decided to quickly speed away and out of the complex. I didn’t like the amount of noise it made but was hopeful that it didn’t reach Sam inside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Ellie brought the food inside, she could see Sam’s eyes fluttering around under her eyelids like she was having a very intense dream. Ellie sat the box down on the coffee table and reached over to gently wake Sam from her sleep. Her hand on Sam’s arm caused the girl to jump awake a bit more violently than Ellie expected and yanked her arm away from Ellie while giving a slightly scared look. She calmed down though after looking around the room and seeing that it was still just Ellie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shaking herself, Sam finally relaxed. “Sorry, I’m not used to being woken up by someone. What time is it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie put away her concern and glanced outside. “Not all that late honestly. Your shows made me hungry though so I ordered in while you were asleep. I hope that’s okay…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam finally saw that pizza box and smiled enthusiastically. “Totally! Pizza is always a guaranteed way to cheer me up!” Sam said as she immediately opened the box to grab a slice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie sat herself back down on the couch next to Sam and grabbed her own piece of the pizza. It was greasier than she expected but she had assumed that something like this was going to not exactly be as clean as what you would find in the types of restaurants Ellie usually found herself in. This was a lot more fun, in her opinion, thanks to the addition of Sam’s enthusiasm.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The next day, Ellie found herself outside her house in Sam’s car all over again. After lifting Sam’s mood yesterday they had both spent the rest of the night simply enjoying the fact that nothing went wrong for the day. It had felt nice to be around someone who wasn’t actively trying to judge or control her. Even though Ellie was intruding on her home, Sam seemed to only care about talking and laughing alongside Ellie as they surfed through different channels from the couch. Sam was very animated as she laughed at the quips about a show that Ellie made. If Sam had found a particular comment extra amusing to her she would take a moment to lean over while laughing and bump Ellie with her shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now, sitting in Sam’s car, Ellie felt that she would have greatly preferred to just keep doing that instead of what she has to do now. Which was to meet her father after he had locked her out of her own home. At some point last night her father had left her a message with a four digit number and a note to come see him first and foremost the next day. She hadn’t been expecting him to be home early. Ellie assumed correctly that the number was the new passcode for the gate to the house, but she was definitely more worried about the part where she had to see him. If she knew the man well enough, it was probably just going to be him talking at her for the majority of the meeting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything going to be okay?” Sam asked from the driver’s seat. The sound broke Ellie out of her train of thought. She tore her eyes away from the house and looked at Sam. She wasn’t smiling right now, so Ellie decided to smile herself, with the hope of getting Sam to cheer back up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sure it will be fine,” Ellie said in an attempt to reassure herself. “I would have to do something pretty ridiculous at this point to have him kick me out again. It’ll probably be just him lecturing me for an hour or so.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam didn’t seem convinced though. “I don’t know. He seems to control a lot about your life…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well he is my father, after all,” Ellie pointed out. “That’s just how things are. It’ll be fine though.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you say so…” Sam relented. “You can still call if you need help… or just want to talk to someone that isn’t your dad.” That little comment made Ellie laugh a little and, in turn, made Sam finally put a smile on her face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was enough encouragement for Ellie to finally get out of the car and make her way up to the door. She turned back and saw that Sam was still waiting patiently to make sure Ellie made it inside. She unlocked the door and pushed it open. Just simply looking inside brought a suffocating feeling. With one last look and wave back at Sam, Ellie walked inside. As the door closed, the sound of Sam’s car driving off down the driveway found its way through. Now she had to go and deal with her father.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. New Desire</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>His office was hidden away at the back end of a hallway on the first floor. Under most circumstances, Ellie never wanted to even be near the door if she had nothing to talk with her father about. Otherwise, she was happy to keep communication to only phone calls and texts. Today though, he had asked for her to directly see him so her hands were now completely tied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even just standing just outside the door made her a bit anxious. This was not where she wanted to be in the least. Unlike the Barlons, Ellie couldn’t run from this. She really wanted to, but knew it would only cause more problems further on so she went ahead and knocked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Enter,” said a firm voice from the other side. Ellie steeled herself at the sound and slowly started to open the door. The second she could see him, her father had fixed her with a sharp gaze from behind his desk that held an open laptop. No doubt he was doing work at home despite being away for so long. Yet, Ellie’s presence was enough for him to stop whatever it was he was working on. Her anxiety rose with each step. “Close the door, Elizabeth,” he ordered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Sir,” Ellie said without hesitation and quickly went to close the door. The click shut made Ellie feel like she just trapped herself. She could feel his eyes boring into her back while she readied herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why are you here, Elizabeth?” Her father asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Turning back around, Ellie saw him leaning back in his chair with his back at an angle so he could lean on one of the chair arms. “Father, leaning like that isn’t good for your back. The doctor said-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you here to lecture me?” He snapped.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, Sir!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then why are you here?” Father asked again, obviously fishing for a certain response. Ellie didn’t know what it was though.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hesitantly, she tried a safe answer. “Because you told me to see you…” He sat up straight at that answer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, Elizabeth, you’re here because instead of being able to finish the last of my work, I have to come home and deal with my daughter who can’t do something as simple as have dinner with three people!” Ellie knew he wanted to yell but was trying his best not to get too flustered. It was something he had told Ellie a few years ago. That if you showed how emotional something like an argument makes you become, you lose a lot of the power you may have had in that moment. He meant it in the context of the business world, but Ellie felt like it had spilled too much into his personal life. Especially when he dealt with her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve told you, Father! I can’t stand Todd! He’s rude, careless, and a womanizer! He-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don't care about that idiot son of theirs!” He interrupted again. “I didn’t have you go to that dinner for him, Elizabeth. I told you to go so you could apologize to his family for putting him in that dangerous position the other night.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie was confused. She had already explained to her father what had happened. “Todd was the one who was causing the problem!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her father held a hand up to stop her before using it to wipe at the annoyed expression on his face. “Was Todd held up by someone with a knife or not, Elizabeth?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She was only trying to hel-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes or no?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silently, she considered the situation from back then. “Yes, Sir.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Were you the one who put him in that position?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie wanted to argue but her father had a look like he was done with having to interrupt her. “..Yes, Sir.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And how would you feel if the positions were switched? If you were the one who was getting threatened with a knife?” He asked softly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She figured out where he was going with this. Unfortunately for Ellie, he had a solid case. The idea of being out at night and having some stranger start after her with a knife was admittedly pretty terrifying for her. “I…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were only thinking of yourself.” Her father answered for her. There was a moment of silence while Ellie thought back over that night. The way Todd treated her. The way she treated Todd… She was getting lost in her thoughts when her father started speaking again. “Look, Elizabeth. I’ve already made it clear to Todd’s father that I was most certainly not happy about him putting his hands on you. Also, I’m not expecting you to marry Todd. I just hoped you could deal with it long enough.” His voice had a soft tone in it that Ellie hadn’t heard for a long time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just felt like I was being trapped into something I didn’t want,” Ellie said, trying to match the softer voice her father had switched to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then you need to start actually taking responsibility, Elizabeth. I can’t help you forever,” he explained. “Learn what you want and then take what you need.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a split second, the man at the desk in front of her looked very tired. The cold exterior he put off disappeared long enough for Ellie to realize he meant what he said. It wasn’t Joseph Mawker telling her this, it was her father.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll… keep what you said in mind, Father.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hope you do. You can go now, Elizabeth. I’ve still got some things to take care of,” he said to Ellie’s surprise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s it?” Ellie asked without even thinking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Elizabeth. I’ve punished you already,” he pointed out. “Unless you think there should be more?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie quickly shook her head. “No! No, Sir.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without any more words being said, Ellie left the room before his mind or mood could change. Now her only problem was what was she supposed to do now? Just go back to her room and continue on like nothing happened? Her father had sounded pretty firm about “taking responsibility.” If only she knew where to start with such a thing. All she has ever done was while under her father’s thumb and she didn’t have anything else really. She still had college, but what happens after that? She decided it wasn’t worth dwelling on it for the time being. She wanted a shower and to change out of the clothes she’d been wearing for far too long.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On the way to her room, Ellie checked the time on her phone only to notice that Sam had left her a message sometime during her meeting with her father. It said, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Good luck!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Those two words brought Ellie out of her semi-sour mood. Maybe it was this text that secretly made everything go so well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Thank you! Everything went surprisingly well. I’ll talk to you a bit later on today?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ellie happily typed out. Maybe she wasn’t quite so sure about everything in her life but Ellie figured that making a friend in Sam was a pretty good step. She wanted a shower first, though.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam’s reply showed up right as Ellie got into her bathroom. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Totally! I knew I still had some luck left to give!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Looking up from that message led to Ellie seeing the happiest smile she had put on in awhile shining back at her in the mirror. What the mirror didn’t show was the feeling in her chest that created that smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her worries sat comfortably in the back of her mind as she busied herself with gathering the things she needed for her shower. Now was a time for her to relax and just let her mind finally rest from every bit of stress that tried to overtake her. Even the sometimes annoying job of washing her long hair wasn’t so bad. In fact, Ellie found herself falling back into her routine like it was a blanket that kept her safe. The drying of her hair, finding her preferred relax-wear, and even the wallpaper of her open laptop at her desk signified that she was safe for now. If she looked out her window, she could probably see her normal spot in the garden just waiting for her. Just for today, Ellie decided. Just for today she wanted to relax before trying to figure out what “taking responsibility” meant for her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A week went by after that. Throughout it, Ellie noticed a lack of communication from her father. He had only been in the house for a few days before he had flown out to a different state, but Ellie hadn’t even known he had left. His office door had been left open which was a rare occurrence for this house. Ellie had to call him to confirm that he had actually left without a word. The only thing of note he had told Ellie during that call was for her to, “Worry about yourself right now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All the same though, that was exactly what she did. Ellie powered through her book she wanted to finish, studied up on the different universities she was considering, and spent more time away from her house. Her room was comforting to her, but the house itself was starting to feel unfamiliar. Most important of all though, she had managed to spend a lot of time talking to Sam.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Talking through text messages each day gave Ellie something to look forward to. Every time her mind started to wander she could find a new message from Sam waiting on her phone. Even something simple as a text about Sam being bored in class was enough to distract Ellie. Eventually though, she started to feel the desire to actually see Sam again. Ellie didn’t have a good excuse for it though and just showing up out of the blue was out of the question based on how Sam reacted to being surprised. She racked her brain from her lonely spot in the garden, hoping to figure something out as she stared at her phone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Want to do something together?” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who am I? Her mom?” Ellie muttered before deleting what she typed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I was thinking-” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Another message erased.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Is it okay if I-” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She rolled her eyes at that. Like she was talking to her father.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie couldn’t figure out why nothing seemed to work right in her mind. How did most friends do this sort of thing? What if she was just honest about it?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Can I see you again?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ellie looked at the question she had typed out. She couldn’t send this, could she? Sure, it was honest, but was this how she wanted to convey it? Her father’s words passed through her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Learn what you want-” He had said. And Ellie really wanted to see Sam again. If she was going to take some control in her life, maybe this was how she could start. By not being afraid to just say what she wanted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had made her decision. Before her feelings of confidence could fade, Ellie sent the message out into the air. She felt nervous, but also hopeful that things couldn’t go near as bad as she thought they could. It was the weekend so there was a chance Sam was at work and wouldn’t be able to answer all that quickly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sound from the phone that Ellie was still holding proved her wrong though.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yes! Once I’m off of work I can come by and pick you up?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sam had answered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The swell in Ellie’s chest couldn’t be stopped. She hadn’t expected such an enthusiastic response from the girl. Because of the positive response Ellie didn’t feel conflicted when she sent her own reply. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I can’t wait!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie saw Sam’s car driving up the driveway minutes before her phone received the message. She had rushed from the upstairs window to the front door so she could leave as fast as possible. By the time Ellie made it there Sam had somehow managed to beat her and was waiting with a hand hanging in the air. Sam’s eyes had gone wide and stepped back suddenly, as if Ellie had legitimately scared her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie, on the other hand, had her attention on the way Sam was dressed. The main standout multi-colored tank-top that contrasted against skin that was clearly darker than Ellie’s own. Then it was Sam’s legs. Or at least, the amount of leg that was shown thanks to a pair of form fitting denim shorts that barely reached past her mid thigh. On someone like Ellie, it wouldn’t expose all that much, but Sam was clearly taller and Sam’s legs matched that difference. They were long and slender, like those of someone much more athletic than Ellie ever could hope to be. Sam’s choice of clothing allowed for anyone, including Ellie, to see a good amount more than she was usually comfortable showing herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ready to go?” Sam asked suddenly, surprising Ellie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh! Uh..Yeah! ...Yes.” Ellie stumbled through clumsily, embarrassed at her distraction. “What were your plans?” She asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam shrugged her bare shoulders. “I figured we would just wing it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie chuckled at the idea. “Of course.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That goofy smile had appeared yet again as Sam turned and started off towards her car while Ellie followed without any hesitation. She couldn’t help but notice the spring in Sam’s footsteps the whole way down the short path to her car. As they walked up to it, instead of immediately walking around, Sam stopped and opened the passenger door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not driving?” Ellie asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A momentary look of confusion flashed on Sam’s face but then a nervous, small smile replaced it. “I was just opening the door for you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh… Thank you..” Ellie said. She was suddenly more interested in the ground but she still decided to take a glance at Sam. Her stomach flipped a bit when their eyes met and Sam didn't look away. Quickly, Ellie stepped into the car with Sam closing the door behind her and then watched Sam walk around the front of the car  to get in through the driver’s side door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mind if I stop by my apartment so I can drop my backpack off?” Sam asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie shook her head. “Not at all.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The whole way to Sam’s apartment, Ellie had felt anxious. So far they hadn’t talked much besides their normal small talk that could have taken place over text messages. While they talked, Ellie would look outside the window and observe the streets and people who walked about the area that Sam lived in. It was the afternoon so most of the other cars on the road were most likely people coming home from a long day at work. The most interesting thing she spotted during the drive was a moped branded by the nearby pizza place and carrying a large bag on the back weaving around cars. Ellie had wondered if something small like that moped was easier to use if you lived or worked in the middle of the city.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie had let her mind wander a little too much and almost didn’t notice them entering Sam’s apartments. Sam had parked a little haphazardly and reached back to the backseat for her backpack.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be right back,” Sam said as she opened her door. She jumped out of the car and began a half-walk, half-jog to get to her apartment. Ellie could even see Sam skip a stair or two before she disappeared into her apartment, leaving Ellie to simply wait and watch the other mundane things. Minutes rolled by until Sam came bounding back down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That was a long time to put away a backpack,” Ellie pointed out as Sam climbed back into the driver’s seat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh? Oh, I left my door unlocked by accident this morning so I was checking everything…” Sam explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Was something wrong?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam shook her head. “No, I was just being a little paranoid,” Sam admitted. She then threw the car into reverse and backed out of her spot almost a little too quickly, even barely avoiding an already scratched up, gray car that was parked next to them. Without a word of where they were going or what they were going to do, Sam was dragging Ellie off to whatever idea she would eventually have.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Next thing Ellie even knew, they were in a parking lot with a lake nearby. Ellie had been vaguely aware of the lake, but had never actually been to it. For the most part, the lot was empty aside from a few other cars that were empty themselves. She then glanced back at Sam who was already climbing out of the car. The only thing Ellie could think to do was follow along herself. Without a word, Sam had made her way to the back of the car and opened it, revealing a couple of water bottles. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here,” Sam said, handing Ellie a bottle before getting her own. “It’s not really all that hot today but you might like it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Obviously confused, Ellie eyeballed Sam who apparently had reigned in her normal cheeriness. “What for?” Ellie asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re going to hike a path nearby!” Sam said like she was attempting to pick herself up. “I wanted to go today anyway so when you asked to see me again it worked out perfectly!” A hint of what Ellie wanted to see showed for just a second.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re hiking? To where?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, Sam smiled. “There’s a nice, little opening on the shore of the lake that has a beautiful view,” she explained. “Plus! It’s a great place to be alone and think. It just takes a little walking to get there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie looked over the lake but didn’t see anything like an opening from where they were. “How much walking is ‘a little?’”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not entirely sure,” Sam shrugged. “Never actually timed it out when I come out here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not very reassuring.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam laughed and started off down a path leading to the woods that surrounded the lake. Ellie didn’t get much choice before she needed to catch up to Sam. She had a very purposeful walk and wasn’t giving Ellie many chances to slow down as they made their way between the trees.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The path they started on was well worn and Ellie could clearly see that many people had been through it over the years. It was mostly dirt with only the bravest of plants attempting to try and claim the land for themselves. Unfortunately for those brave souls, Sam was leading the way and paid those plants no mind as she stomped through them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After five sips of water from her bottle and however long they had already been out there, Ellie was already feeling tired. Her outfit wasn’t the worst thing in the world for this kind of activity but she wished she at least had a tank top like Sam’s to help out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam didn’t show any signs of tiring and instead would look back at Ellie as if to make sure she wasn’t falling behind. Every now and then they had to jump a puddle that hadn’t managed to disappear yet. Sam would jump it first and then wait just on the other side for Ellie to make her attempt. Each time Ellie jumped, Sam would have a hand out and ready for her, just in case.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At one point the dirt she landed on was more mud than originally thought causing Ellie to slip and nearly fall back only for Sam to grab her by the forearm. Ellie was yanked roughly back up onto her feet before she could land in the puddle and ruin her clothes for the day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You okay?” Sam asked, keeping her hold on Ellie’s arm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. Just a little slip,” Ellie said. At that, Sam let go of Ellie’s arm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cool. There’s an area that’s normally muddy further up but we shouldn’t have to deal with anything else after that,” Sam explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sure enough, there was a dark patch of dirt that was a few yards long with no way around it. Sam walked up to it and started testing different spots with her feet, likely finding a spot that wouldn’t immediately consume her shoe. Each time the ground gave way to Sam’s foot, Ellie’s anxiety rose at the idea that she would be leaving this place covered in mud. Soon though, Sam was taking her first few steps across while taking great care to balance herself safely. Once she was a few steps in it she stopped and held your hand out towards Ellie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re kidding, right?” Ellie asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam started to grin at Ellie’s concern. “It’ll be fine. Just take each step slow and carefully and you won’t fall,” Sam explained. “If you do start to fall, I can do my best to keep you balanced.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie thought the situation over. She wouldn’t be able to go around the obstacle without having to push through thick bushes and trees. Something that wouldn’t be possible without either hurting herself or getting stuck and needing to have Sam help her anyway. The other choices were either to just stand there or go back to Sam’s car. Neither sounded all that appealing to Ellie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Slowly, Ellie edged closer and tested her footing. She didn’t enjoy the feeling of her foot sinking into the ground all that much but she was able to stay stable. A glance at Sam showed that she was watching Ellie closely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be fine,” Ellie announced. Sam’s serious face slowly went back to it’s normal, cheery state, but she did keep her hand extended. Ellie took another step without managing to fall. “See?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam rolled her eyes and reached out to grab Ellie’s hand anyway. “I’m sure you do, but just let me help out just in case,” she said while getting a secure grip on Ellie’s hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie decided not to argue. Sam seemed pretty confident about what she was doing and her hand didn’t show any signs of letting go of Ellie’s. Instead, Ellie took another step. Then Sam would investigate her path and move on. That was their rhythm for each step through the muddy path. Sam would lead the way, making sure they weren’t going to get a surprise mud bath. Ellie would have to trust Sam and follow. Each time Ellie might have accidentally started to let go of Sam’s hand, Sam would respond by glancing back at Ellie to make sure she wasn’t about to fall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Soon enough, they had made it through with only some slightly muddy shoes. Sam only had to help Ellie regain her balance once near the end when Ellie thought she could quickly step out of the mud only to nearly fall forwards when her foot slipped out from under her. Sam was quick though and pulled Ellie straight back up. After that, they were well on their way to wherever Sam had planned on showing Ellie today.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had walked for a few minutes before Sam suddenly stopped. Ellie had no choice but to stop herself when she got pulled back by Sam. That was when Ellie realized that they had never let go of each other’s hands. It was a fact that made Ellie extremely self-conscious, but as if Sam had also realized that same thing, she had let go of Ellie’s hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s just through here,” Sam said as she started shoving tree branches aside on the side of the path. As Ellie watched, she saw that there was actually a decently travelled path on the other side of the overgrown limbs. “You first. I’ll hold the branches with thorns back so they won’t scratch you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, thanks...” Ellie managed to stumble out while she tried to get through the bramble as fast as possible. It was tough because she had to nearly press against Sam to get through the opening that was made if she didn’t want to get caught on any thorns.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Careful,” Sam whispered when Ellie brushed passed. It almost made her pause, but she kept going when Sam put her free hand on Ellie’s back as reassurance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam didn’t take Ellie’s hand after that. She instead continued to lead the way in front of Ellie. Ellie had got that thought stuck in her head the whole rest of the way until a glint of sunlight off the surface of the lake pulled her out of her own head. The long hike through the forest was finally done. Even Sam was excited as she bounced off ahead to the water’s edge.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Ellie walked up, she could see why Sam liked this spot. No one was even close to being nearby and the grass here was almost completely undisturbed aside from the steps the pair made across it. You couldn’t even see the parking lot from here thanks to thick trees blocking their line of sight. At most, you could see boats slowly traveling across the lake, but none of wakes ever reached them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie walked up to the edge where she had to stop suddenly or risk falling. The water started a couple of feet below her. The actual land dropped off pretty suddenly so it would have been difficult to get back up if you somehow fell down into the water.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was oddly peaceful for Ellie. The sight was nothing like the garden back at her house and was a lot quieter too. Sounds of wildlife and the water splashing complimented well with each other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s a beautiful view..” Sam’s voice came from behind Ellie, surprising her. Her head jerked around to see that Sam at some point had laid herself out on the grass.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh?” Ellie said on instinct.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam threw a smirk at Ellie’s surprise. “The lake. I love coming out here to just relax and escape for a bit,” she explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie looked back over the lake. She couldn’t help but agree with Sam. This felt a lot more freeing than the garden or her house. This wasn’t owned by anyone and there wasn’t some kind of oppressive atmosphere to stress her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I could get used to this place,” Ellie said, mostly to herself. “I needed somewhere new for reading and such.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think it suits you pretty well,” Sam said. She had finally sat back up and was giving Ellie her unique smile. “A bit of nature is good for the head sometimes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There wasn’t much there for Ellie to argue against. Despite the long hike, she was already feeling a bit refreshed from the environment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A thought then popped into the edges of her mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you come out here to think about?” Ellie asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam looked a little surprised at the question. She recovered though and shrugged. “Just to reflect on stressful days or if I want to escape for a bit.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Escape from what?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another shrug from Sam as she moved her eyes to the lake. “Life in general, I guess,” she explained. “Expectations, reality, and sometimes people.” Then her eyes switched back to Ellie’s along with a more reserved look. “Not you though. I’ve had fun sharing this with you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a full second, Ellie felt like she almost couldn’t breathe. This was the first time she had ever seen Sam looking so serious and in control. Most of all, Ellie liked how it was all directed at her. Like she was the one who mattered. Not her family’s money or the potential influence she could have. It was just her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then, before Ellie could even recover, Sam held a hand out. Like she was inviting Ellie to come sit with her. And Ellie did just that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She slowly walked over and put her hand back into Sam’s. It wasn’t much actual support as she sat, but Sam’s grip was firm and reassuring.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Soon Ellie was sitting peacefully next to Sam and watching the lake. Sam never pulled her hand away from Ellie’s the entire time and somewhere along the way, Sam had started leaning up against her shoulder. An act that was making Ellie feel flustered and safe all at the same time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam let out a content sigh and Ellie could feel Sam’s body swell and shrink just from their shoulders touching.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m feeling a lot better now..” Sam said quietly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Was something wrong?” Ellie asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam shook her head with some strands even brushing against Ellie’s, making her realize just how close Sam’s head was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was just a long day,” Sam explained. “Nothing all that bad enough for you to worry about.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie wanted to say something back, but Sam’s head fell onto her shoulder in that moment. It instantly shut her up and disrupted any other thoughts that didn’t involve her panicking about Sam being so close. Was this a normal thing for Sam to do? Would it be rude if she pulled away without a word? It wasn’t even a question that Ellie wanted to pursue because strangely enough, she wanted this to keep going.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Never has she ever been so close to someone else. Not even Todd’s advances from when they first met each other made it this far with her. Yet here she was, letting a girl who she hadn’t even known for a month rest their head on her shoulder like it was normal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about you?” Sam asked, interrupting Ellie’s thoughts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“About milkshakes?” Sam clarified. “Want to get some on the way back?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie felt a little caught off guard from such a normal idea. “Oh, sure.. That doesn’t sound all that terrible right about now.” Ellie then made a small attempt to move only for Sam to give her hand a small squeeze which cemented Ellie in place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t mean now…” Sam said. “I kind of want to chill out here for a little while longer. To just enjoy the moment, you know?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie didn’t say anything. She chose to do as Sam was doing and enjoy this moment. The way her hand somehow got tangled in with Sam’s. The extra, but welcome warmth from the way Sam leaned into her. She didn’t want it to stop. It made her feel completely normal for the first time in a long while.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This feeling was something she wanted to keep. Without any question. She just wished she knew if Sam was feeling the same thing.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Sharp Turn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Their adventure back down the path towards Sam’s car was largely uneventful. They still had to cross the same obstacles, including the mud, but now Sam didn’t hesitate to grab Ellie’s hand for balance. It wasn’t much of a problem since she had put her hand out for Sam to grab anyway. Ellie told herself it was because she knew Sam would grab it anyway and didn’t feel like arguing about it again, but for some reason she wanted it to keep happening. In fact, Ellie almost felt disappointed when she had to let go so they could get into the car.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thankfully, the way Sam almost seemed like an excited child while she tried to figure out what kind of milkshake she wanted made up for it. They had pulled up to a fast food chain where Sam stopped at the menu and started reading off each kind of shake they had to Ellie. She didn’t want anything fancy herself but let Sam continue through the whole list just because of the enthusiasm she gave off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took a minute or two but eventually Sam had decided to get herself a large shake filled with crumbled pieces of cookies inside. Sam seemed only a little disappointed when Ellie admitted that she wanted a simple chocolate shake, and only in medium.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you sure you only want that much?” Sam asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie eyed the massive, in her opinion, cup that held Sam’s milkshake. “I think I’m pretty sure. I’ll probably only barely finish mine,” Ellie confirmed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam shrugged her shoulders and immediately went back to consuming a week’s worth of sugar and dairy while Ellie grinned in smug victory before starting to sip on her own shake. Maybe it wasn’t Ellie’s favorite snack due to how unhealthy it felt just even looking at it, but the happy expression Sam had on her face while she searched for cookie pieces seemed to make it taste better than she had imagined. The way Sam occasionally glanced at her and smiled didn’t hurt either.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam put her shake into a cup-holder and put her seatbelt back on. Ellie followed suit but actually didn’t know where Sam was planning on going.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where are we going now?” Ellie asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam put her car into drive and let it slowly inch forward and out of the restaurant's parking lot. “I figured we could go back to my apartment rather than just sit here the rest of the day,” she explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It made sense to Ellie. Sitting in a car for so long wouldn’t have been all that fun for her. Plus, she didn’t want to go home just yet. She wanted to stay with Sam, which was completely possible if she went back to Sam’s apartment with her. Where they would be all alone again. Just like when they were at the lake. Ellie’s chest started to feel extremely tight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you want to go home instead?” Sam asked. She was looking at Ellie with a small bit of concern. Like she could see the knot that was in Ellie’s chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie didn’t want that at all so she immediately shook her head. “No, not really. I’m having fun being with you today,” Ellie said with complete honesty.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam’s face seemed to have gone through a couple of emotions before she decided to turn away for a few seconds to check out the window. During that time, Ellie had felt a bit of panic as she thought that maybe she had said something weird or out of line. Maybe Sam was expecting Ellie to leave her alone and go home. Maybe that was what she was hoping for.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wanted you to stay, too..” Sam’s voice said, breaking Ellie from her nervous thoughts. There wasn’t any humor in it. Not even the slight hint of a laugh or chuckle was worked into her words like she normally would try to do. Even when Sam finally turned back to Ellie, her face didn’t have any hint of humor in it. Her smile was there, but Ellie didn’t see it as silly anymore. Instead, she found it beautiful. “Is that okay?” Sam asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie nodded her head instead of actually saying anything, like she couldn’t trust whatever might come out of her mouth at that moment. Sam didn’t seem to have a problem with that response, though. She simply laughed to herself and pulled her car out onto the road that led back to her home.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie almost missed the whole drive back to Sam’s apartment because she was swimming in and out of her own thoughts. She didn’t even notice when she finished her shake, something that she thought was close to impossible for herself. Sam on the other hand, hadn’t touched her milkshake since they left the restaurant. Her eyes had stayed locked forward out the front of the car. The only time she had said anything was when she parked in her normal spot and said, “We’re here!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her slow climb up the stairs was unlike her. It was like she was taking her time to keep Ellie at her side with each step. Only jumping into the lead when they reached her door. Ellie didn’t mind though. It felt nice to have her there between Ellie’s bouts of nervous thoughts and flips in her stomach each time her arm was brushed by Sam’s.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then things completely crashed down around them when Sam turned her keys in her door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I…” Sam started as she turned her keys over and over. “I locked this… why is it unlocked!?” The panic in her voice surprised Ellie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe you just forgot before we left earlier today?” Ellie suggested, hoping to calm Sam down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam yanked her keys out of the door suddenly. “No! I remember locking this!” Sam snapped back. She pushed her door open and pretty much ran into the apartment. “God dammit! No, no, no…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie was worried now. She hesitantly followed Sam into her apartment and saw what could only be described as a ransacking. Sam was in the middle of the living room looking between her gutted couch cushions and the window into her kitchen that showed the fridge open with a few shelves clearly missing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, no, no, no.” Sam said in disbelief. Suddenly, she ran to her bedroom, leaving Ellie behind in the living room. “Dammit! No, not again. Why can’t he…” Ellie heard from the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She followed Sam’s outbursts and took her first ever look into her friend’s bedroom. From what she saw, the bed seemed to have almost been completely torn apart in a mess of red and gray covers on the floor like a pool of blood, and the sheets themselves were pulled up off the mattress. The desk in the corner had all of its things pushed to the floor or knocked over. A laptop was open on it and stuck on the password screen which no doubt stopped whoever the intruder was from getting into it. A bookshelf had its books pulled out, drawers from Sam’s dresser were wide open with clothes hanging out, and in the middle of it was Sam looking around with an absolutely terrified expression.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why does… what did I do… Can’t…” Sam mumbled to herself, almost as if she no longer realized that Ellie was still there. Her eyes darted around, looking for something or someone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The look on Sam’s face made Ellie feel the urge to try and comfort her. It was a mistake, Ellie realized quickly. When she went to put a hand on Sam’s shoulder, she was met with a sharp slap from Sam’s own hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t touch me!” Sam yelled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her breathing was getting shorter and faster. Ellie had never seen such a visceral reaction from anyone in her life. Everyone she was exposed to went to great care to not make a display of their emotions. What Ellie was seeing now, she didn’t have a single clue on how to help.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam started ignoring Ellie again. She checked her closet, under the bed, behind the door, and even looked to the ceiling like something was going to descend onto her. When she got to the bathroom, Sam slammed the door shut with her inside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie crept closer to the door. Each gasp of air she heard Sam take felt like it was being taken from Ellie’s own lungs. What was she supposed to do?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Na… Natalia?” Sam’s voice came through the door. “It’s happening.. Again… I can’t…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie wondered who Sam was talking to. Sam had never mentioned someone named Natalia. All she could do was worry for Sam, who had locked herself in her own bathroom. The doorknob turned, but the door didn’t budge. That action alone only seemed to have made it worse for Sam who made an almost strangled yell when Ellie tried to open the door. The only thing left for her to do was simply sit and wait with her back against the door of the bathroom, like she was somehow Sam’s guard.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sharp knock on the apartment’s front door broke Ellie’s concentration. She didn’t even have time to completely pick herself up from her position in front of Sam’s bathroom door before the mother of the little girl she had helped the other week rushed in. Ellie’s face probably showed just as much surprise as the woman’s face showed to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where’s Sam?” The woman asked after her moment of surprise wore off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bathroom.” Ellie replied before being almost pushed completely aside so the woman could get to the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sam?” The woman called. “It’s me, Natalia. Can I come in?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a few seconds of waiting, Sam opened the door. Her face was red and obviously wet from crying. It hurt Ellie a surprising amount. She saw this happening, but didn’t know what to do. Sam didn’t even try to look at her. Like she was completely forgotten.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh dear,” Natalia said when she saw Sam’s state. “This isn’t good at all.” She turned to Ellie. “Could you watch Sarah in the living room for a bit? I need to talk with Sam.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie didn’t even have a chance to respond as Natalia stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, leaving Ellie to go into the living room like she was told. There she found Natalia’s young daughter, Sarah, sitting patiently on the only undestroyed couch cushion on the floor. She noticed Ellie and got an excited look on her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s you!” She said, bouncing happily on the cushion. Ellie honestly didn’t have the energy or was in the mood for such a happy little child. It wasn’t Sarah’s fault, though. Sarah was just brought along while her mother was dealing with Sam. If Ellie couldn’t help Sam right now, she could at least help Natalia out with her daughter. So, Ellie pushed her own feelings aside and put a smile on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sarah! How are you doing? Did your cheek get better?” Ellie asked while doing her best to sound cheerful.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh huh!” Sarah jumped up and opened her mouth wide for Ellie to see.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie couldn’t actually see anything from the angle she was at, but felt it was best to humor Sarah all the same. “Oh wow! You got better super fast! Did your mom help you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sarah finally closed her mouth. “She did! She made me food that didn’t make it hurt more. Like potatoes! And soup!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She sounds like a good mom. Especially if she has a little girl as cute as you!” Ellie admitted. While it wasn’t a perfect solution, talking with Sarah and her blind joy was picking Ellie up a bit. Even with the destroyed apartment around them. She could only imagine trying to clean this place up. What with the destroyed cushions with their stuffing thrown haphazardly. The television had even been knocked off its perch, but thankfully didn’t look broken. Sam’s coffee table only simply needed to be pushed back into place. Things like the kitchen and Sam’s room were going to need some extra time to clean though.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you and Sams have a fight?” Sarah asked suddenly. Such a question was a surprise to Ellie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Ellie immediately questioned. “No, no. Why would you think that, Sarah?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because everything is messy,” Sarah said, her enthusiasm seeming to wane. “Sams used to get into fights with her friend a lot and would stay the night sometimes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Her friend?” Ellie asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sarah nodded. “He went away though. Mom didn’t like him so I didn’t see him all that much.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie felt a little bad hearing something like this from Sarah and not Sam herself. She assumed that who Sarah was talking about was Sam’s old roommate that “had to move out.” She had never mentioned anything after that, though. Was this related to what just happened? Ellie thought it might have been a burglary, but Sam’s reaction went way beyond simple frustration. Plus, now that Ellie took a moment to look around, it seemed like nothing was stolen. It looked more like someone who was simply rifling through everything without any care and being spiteful by breaking or tearing the furniture.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ellie?” Natalia called out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ma’am?” Ellie replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Natalia walked out of Sam’s bedroom by herself. “You don’t have to call me that. Especially since you're apparently Sam’s new friend.” The way she said it made Ellie feel like there was something being left unsaid.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes Ma'a-... I am,” Ellie replied. Then she remembered Sam’s state. “Is she okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Natalia checked over her shoulder to look into Sam’s room. “She’s upset still, to say the least. I’m leaving her alone for a few minutes while she grabs some overnight things.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where’s she going?” Ellie asked immediately. “What actually happened? Sarah said something about a ‘friend’ of hers.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sarah did?” Natalia asked. Her eyes then shot to her daughter who was looking pensive and doing her best to not look back at Natalia. “You know better than to talk about other people’s lives without their permission.” Sarah’s response was to pull her legs up to her body like she was going to try and hide despite being in the middle of the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, Mom..” the little girl said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl’s mother relented the argument at the sight of Sarah’s adorable pouting. “It’s okay, Sarah. How about you help Sam get her things?” Natalia asked. She didn’t get an answer though due to Sarah instantly picking herself up and running to Sam’s room. Once she was out of sight, Natalia walked up closer to Ellie. “I’m sorry you saw this whole thing, Ellie,” she said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But why did this happen? When Sam lost it like that, it was like I wasn’t even there,” Ellie explained. “She yelled at me and then she locked herself in her bathroom like she was hiding...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She wasn’t hiding from you, if that helps any,” Natalia offered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie didn’t feel like it helped in any respect. Earlier that day, they had spent quite a bit of time holding each other’s hands like it was nothing. The slap from Sam’s hand didn’t hurt at all, but the meaning behind it felt like it was trying to suffocate her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What happened to Sam?” Ellie asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Natalia looked back at Sam’s room before shaking her head. “It’s not my place to say. It’s her life after all,” she explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie had never felt so out of the loop in her life, even when her own father was making date plans in her stead. “Why is she going to your apartment?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So she can feel safe for a night or two. Or at least until the apartment changes the locks again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Again?”.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look, Ellie. I can’t tell you everything,” Natalia said. “Once she’s safe and sound I can take you back home. Is that okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No matter how she thought it over, Ellie couldn’t figure anything out. “Yes, that’s fine,” Ellie agreed. Natalia seemed happy with that answer and got up to head back into Sam’s room. It left Ellie to stew in her own thoughts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam was going to Natalia’s apartment to feel safe? The idea just confused Ellie so much. What about when they were together at the lake? When Sam was leaning on her, she had felt the safest she had ever felt in a long time. During that whole time when she felt like that, did Sam not have that same feeling?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She couldn’t get those thoughts out of her head the rest of the day. Ellie felt useless the whole time Sam packed and started walking her stuff over to Natalia’s apartment. Sam didn’t even really look at Ellie at that point. Her eyes refused to meet Ellie’s for more than a second and she didn’t say anything besides a single, “Sorry,” when Ellie tried to say good-bye to her. Now she was in Natalia’s car, heading back to her isolated home.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie honestly didn’t know what she could say at this point. In fact, she didn’t want to say anything at all. She was too worried about how Sam was doing. Hopefully, Sarah was enough to help bring Sam’s spirits back up. That little girl could make almost anyone happy it felt like.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The entire drive felt lonely to Ellie. She wasn’t in the mood for the small talk Natalia tried to start. Realistically she only felt like sleeping everything off. If she didn’t, her mind was just going to dwell too long.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re here, Ellie,” Natalia announced. It made Ellie look up from the car’s floor. The giant gate to her home was waiting there for her. Threatening to close her in and keep her there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right,” Ellie half-heartedly said. “The code is two, one, two, three.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Natalia reached over and entered the code. The gates started to swing open and they both stayed silent the whole drive up the driveway. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even with the front door staring at her, Ellie almost felt too tired to even open the car door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sam is going to be fine,” Natalia said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” Ellie replied. “I just can’t help but worry though.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Natalia reached over and put a hand on Ellie’s arm. “She’s going to pick herself back up faster than you know. Just like all the other times.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ellie knew it was supposed to cheer her up but it only made her angry at how little she knew. “Other times? What the hell happened?” Ellie snapped. “We spent the whole day together and we were having so much fun.. Then it all went out the window! Next thing I knew, it was like I didn’t matter. She even locked herself in the bathroom before I could do anything to help.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Natalia’s face slowly fell as Ellie ranted. She wanted to feel bad for bringing the mood down even more, but she was just too angry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It wasn’t about you, Ellie. Like I said before, it’s not my place to blab about Sam’s life. When she’s feeling better, you can ask her about what happened,” Natalia said. “Check on her tomorrow, Ellie. I’m sure she’ll be really happy to hear from you.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Held</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Natalia was wrong though. The next day, Ellie had tried to call Sam, but she never answered. So Ellie tried to send her a message and never received one back. Then she tried again the day after that. Nothing changed though. Ellie was ignored and left to worry if Sam was doing okay.</p>
<p>Then a few days went by slowly. The whole time, Ellie didn’t get anything from Sam. By the end of it, Ellie found herself not doing all that much. Just staying in her room and distracting herself as much as possible before somehow getting her mind stuck on one person. It got to the point where she couldn’t wait anymore.</p>
<p>It was a moment of frustration for Ellie. One that led her to pulling into Sam’s apartment complex. She might have questioned herself on if she was just being stupid. If maybe that this was actually a terrible idea. Ellie didn’t think any of that though. Not until she made it to Sam’s door and knocked.</p>
<p>No one answered. That was when it dawned on Ellie that Sam wouldn’t be here right now because it was Sunday and Sam was most likely at work. That revelation should have come to Ellie a lot sooner. Instead, she was now standing outside Sam’s door, waiting for someone that was clearly not going to answer.</p>
<p>Ellie just wanted to see Sam. She just wanted to make sure everything was okay.</p>
<p>It was then that her phone shot off its notification sound. As she investigated, her heart nearly lept into her throat when she saw that it was from Sam.</p>
<p><em> “Don’t look so sad,” </em>The message said. Instantly, Ellie started looking around, wondering how Sam could see her. A short glance down at the parking lot showed Sam leaning against the back of her car with her trademark goofy smile. She started waving, making Ellie’s heart complete its journey.</p>
<p>If Ellie didn’t value her own safety, she might have jumped straight down the steps without any hesitation. It wasn’t much of a hurdle for her though. She ran almost the whole way down the stairs and skipped the last three steps. Once she was on solid ground though, nothing was holding her back.</p>
<p>Sam was still leaning against her car, watching Ellie coming toward her. “What’s with the ru-” She had started to say before being interrupted by the force of Ellie hugging her. Sam was silent for a few seconds, but Ellie didn’t care. Being able to confirm that she wasn’t just seeing things and feel that warmth that Sam always seemed to give off was almost enough for Ellie. Once Sam started returning the hug, any negative thoughts she had about coming here herself went far, far away. “This was not the response I was expecting after essentially ignoring you for nearly a week,” Sam finally said.</p>
<p>The sound of her voice in Ellie's ear was bittersweet. On one hand, Ellie was unmistakably glad that Sam was here and seemingly okay. On the other, she wanted to be mad at Sam for ignoring her for so long.</p>
<p>There was a point when Ellie had to pull away, though. When she did, she could feel the way Sam’s hands lingered on her waist. It was almost enough to distract Ellie, but it wasn’t quite enough.</p>
<p>“What happened, Sam?” Ellie asked. That question was enough for Sam to pull her hands away and she was starting to avoid looking Ellie in the eyes.</p>
<p>Eventually, Sam spoke up. “I needed to be alone for a bit,” she said. “After... you know..”</p>
<p>Ellie could feel herself getting annoyed. “No, I don’t know, Sam! You didn’t say a single word to me. I was worried,” Ellie explained harshly. Then, in a softer tone. “It was like you just shut down.”</p>
<p>“I'm allowed to have problems. Okay?” Sam told her. “I’m not exactly the best at this whole life thing, Ellie. Hell, the only reason Natalia is even my friend is because of..” Sam then trailed off. Her smile was now far gone. In its place was a near recreation of her face from the other day.</p>
<p>“What, Sam? Why was your apartment like that? Why did you shut down? And after the day we had, why did you suddenly act like you didn’t even know who I was?”</p>
<p>“My roommate…”</p>
<p>“Your roommate?” Ellie questioned.</p>
<p>Sam took a deep breath and let it out. “We weren’t exactly just roommates.”</p>
<p>Then the dots connected in Ellie’s head. “Oh…”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Sam confirmed. “We weren’t really ‘dating,’ but things went from okay to real, real bad. Maybe I’ll explain it better later on, but I’m still recovering from the other day and don’t really want to think about it right now.”</p>
<p>“He was the one that did that to your apartment?” Ellie asked. Sam looked away and nodded her head. “Why? Why would someone do that to you?"</p>
<p>“I really don’t want to talk about it right now, Ellie.”</p>
<p>Ellie couldn’t stop though. “I was worried about you, Sam. I thought something else hap-”</p>
<p>“Please just stop!” Sam interrupted with a pleading voice. “I really don’t want to think about it again.”</p>
<p>“I was just worried, Sam..”</p>
<p>Then Sam started to close the distance to Ellie. Sam's hands brushed Ellie’s sides. A feeling that made her nearly shiver, as they went around her back. Without any hesitation, she let herself be pulled into Sam. It felt easy. It felt like it was supposed to happen.</p>
<p>“I just want to feel happy right now, Ellie,” Sam whispered into Ellie’s ear. “Let’s just have this for awhile… Just let <em> me </em>have this...” </p>
<p>Then Sam pulled her head back. Ellie looked up at her and there was that smile. That was supposed to be a good thing, but it just started to feel like a mask to Ellie now. Something in her brain told her that she shouldn’t buy it. That Ellie should press again.</p>
<p>A horn blared at them and Ellie lost her thought. They had ended up in the middle of the parking lot, where a truck was impatiently waiting for them to move. Sam glanced at it, chuckled to herself and then put her attention back to Ellie.</p>
<p>“Maybe we should have this somewhere safer than the middle of the road,” she pointed out.</p>
<p>Ellie laughed, which made Sam start laughing even more. That bit of humor was the Sam that Ellie wanted to see again. A piece of the person she had suddenly got so attached to in the last few weeks. So when Sam began to lead Ellie up to her apartment, she didn’t resist in the slightest.</p>
<p>Sam’s apartment looked like it was never even touched. Everything was back in its place and the destroyed items, like the couch cushions, were replaced with identical copies. The only difference Ellie even noticed was when they were entering the apartment and Sam unlocked the door with what was clearly a new deadbolt lock. The old brass colored one being replaced with a more modern silver example.</p>
<p>The biggest surprise was the kitchen being spotless. Broken glass wasn’t on the floor anymore, stains from food and condiments were wiped away, and there was a smell of lemon scented cleaner passing under Ellie’s nose.</p>
<p>These were all quick, passing observations though. Ellie didn’t have time to dwell on them as she was still being guided by Sam through the apartment into her room. It was messy, but not destroyed anymore. Her bed was still torn up like Sam was kicking the covers around like a child, amusingly enough.</p>
<p>Ellie’s vision was suddenly blocked when Sam appeared in front of her, keeping her from seeing anything else. Sam was obviously taller then Ellie. It was more noticeable at this distance as Ellie had to lean her head back to look up at Sam’s face, otherwise she would just be staring at Sam’s neck. Sam, on the other hand, was looking down at Ellie. Her eyes were locked directly into Ellie’s, never straying. It was almost intimidating to Ellie, in a very new way.</p>
<p>That feeling of intimidation grew when Sam took a step toward her. Sam being so close now felt entirely different than what Ellie felt in the forest. She almost jumped as Sam’s hands grabbed her waist.</p>
<p>“Sam?” Ellie asked quietly. Her mouth felt dry though, and it came out as a quiet breath.</p>
<p>Another step from Sam put her body against Ellie’s, making Ellie have to step back against the wall. It didn’t help any as she could still feel most of Sam’s weight pressing against her.</p>
<p>Then Sam’s face got closer. Her eyes half-lidded, never once leaving Ellie’s. As she got closer, her eyes closed while Ellie felt her heart start to pump harder and harder with each centimeter that Sam closed.</p>
<p>The moment when she felt Sam’s breath hit her lips felt like it lasted forever. She didn’t know if it was just her or if Sam stopped, but between her thumping heart and Sam’s body pressing into her, Ellie found it difficult to concentrate on just one thing at a time. In the end, Ellie decided to let any caution fall to the wind as she followed Sam’s example and closed her eyes. Then Sam finally closed the gap.</p>
<p>After the initial surprise, Ellie couldn't calm down and instead reveled in the sudden feeling of desire that took over her. Sam was being slow and careful, but Ellie pushed back with conviction. After all the worry, after all the indecision, and especially after the long week that Sam wasn't there, Ellie was doing something that felt completely right to her.</p>
<p>It seemed Sam felt the same way when her grip on Ellie’s waist tightened and firmly planted her against the wall. Ellie didn’t feel trapped, though. She felt like she was exactly where she wanted to be. Her hands grabbed and pulled at Sam’s shirt, trying her hardest to pull Sam closer to her. When that didn’t work, she reached up and ran her hand through Sam’s hair, pulling her in if she even dared to let up.</p>
<p>Neither of them gave up until Ellie needed to breathe. She panted, trying to pull more oxygen into her lungs as she leaned her forehead against Sam’s. Even with her tanned skin, Ellie could see how flushed Sam’s face was.</p>
<p>“God…” Sam breathed out. “I wanted… to do that… for so damn long..”</p>
<p>Ellie felt another rush of desire. “Then why did you stop…” Ellie instigated. Before she could take another breath, Sam pushed back into Ellie. She took Ellie’s challenge seriously and refused to let up, only letting Ellie have half of a second to take in air before she would reconnect.</p>
<p>“My legs… feel like...” Ellie managed to say in-between each attempt she made to get more air.</p>
<p>Suddenly, Sam’s hands left Ellie’s waist, slid down to her thighs, and next thing she knew she was being lifted off of her feet. It surprised her as she had no idea Sam was strong enough to do such a thing. Worried she was going to fall, Ellie wrapped her arms around Sam’s neck for support. Her world spun as Sam turned and brought Ellie to the bed. In one stomach flipping moment, Ellie fell onto it with Sam pressing down onto her. The drop knocked the wind out of Ellie, forcing her to push Sam away so she could breathe and get her bearings. Sam rolled off Ellie and propped herself up with a concerned look.</p>
<p>“You okay?” She asked. “I didn’t hurt you when I did that, did I?” Despite the need to breathe, Ellie only shook her head and laughed at Sam’s worry. “Jeez, Ellie! I thought I broke something for a second,” Sam half laughed.</p>
<p>“I’m fine, Sam. Probably way more than just fine,” Ellie pointed out after she caught her breath. “I didn’t expect this...”</p>
<p>Sam put on her goofy smile. “You steal a kiss and now you’re stealing my own words. What’s next? My heart?”</p>
<p>Ellie suddenly felt self conscious about just how much time she spent worrying about Sam. About how much desire she had to see Sam at least one more time. Without even somehow realizing it herself, Sam had somehow stolen Ellie’s heart. Which made Ellie’s next question even tougher to ask.</p>
<p>“If you wanted… this…” Ellie gestured vaguely at the both of them. “Then why did you disappear for a week?” Ellie asked. Sam dropped herself back to the bed with a groan, making the both of them bounce.</p>
<p>“Did you see what happens when I get involved with someone? It never goes well, Ellie,” Sam tried to explain.</p>
<p>“I thought you and your roommate weren’t dating?”</p>
<p>“That… may have not been the whole truth,” Sam said.</p>
<p>Ellie rolled onto her side to give Sam a stern look. “Sam,” She said, earning her a half-hearted chuckle from Sam.</p>
<p>“He… got a lot more attached than I did. That’s the best way I can put it for now.” Sam then rolled to meet Ellie face to face. “And right before that… incident... happened, I was about to repeat some of my old mistakes.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Ellie asked. “What mistakes?”</p>
<p>“When I was bringing you back here the other week,” Sam started. She took a deep, chest raising breath. “I was going to try to sleep with you.”</p>
<p>“Oh…” Then it clicked in Ellie’s head. “Oh!”</p>
<p>“Yeah...” Sam confirmed.</p>
<p>Ellie didn’t know what to say in response to that. It had been a few years since she had kissed anyone and she definitely has never slept with anyone. Then a new thought hit her.</p>
<p>“Sam?”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“I’ve never actually kissed a girl before this…” Ellie admitted.</p>
<p>Sam groaned and fell over again. “Jesus, Ellie… You should have said something before we.. well before I.. damn I’m an idiot.”</p>
<p>After a moment of thought, Ellie leaned over and gave Sam a peck on the lips. “I’m fine. See? It was just something I didn’t expect to happen so suddenly.” Her reassurance must have worked because the way Sam was looking up at her was causing knots in her chest. Those eyes from when they first got into Sam’s room were back in full force. Ellie leaned down again, but not for a simple peck. There was no chance of that when she felt a hand comb into her hair and pull her closer. Ellie was ready to enjoy this for as long as she wanted, but didn’t get that chance when she noticed the way Sam’s face started to form a frown. “Sam?”</p>
<p>“I didn’t think any of this was going to happen, Ellie,” Sam explained as her fingers idly played with Ellie’s hair. “So this next part is probably going to hurt…”</p>
<p>“What are you talking about? I just said I’m okay,” Ellie said.</p>
<p>“I’m actually talking mostly about me. About me disappearing…” Ellie was just simply confused at this point. They were here now, and wasn't that all that mattered? She didn't care if Sam had to take time for herself. "I was actually talking with my family. After everything that happened and how I've been handling it, me and my family decided I should move back home…"</p>
<p>It had felt like Ellie had been drenched in ice cold water. “What?” She asked, internally panicking at this sudden news. “They’re so far away! I thought- We were- You’re just-” Her mind raced faster than her own mouth. What was she supposed to say to this?</p>
<p>“It’ll be okay, Ellie…” Sam tried to assure. “It’s not that bad of a distance.”</p>
<p>“Not that far?! It’s nearly eight hours going one way from what you told me!” Ellie pointed out. She then let herself collapse against Sam’s body. “I can’t believe this…”</p>
<p>“It’s for the best though… It would be a terrible idea to stay here…”</p>
<p>Ellie couldn’t argue against Sam’s point. Especially after what happened. “I’m still going to miss you though…” She admitted.</p>
<p>Sam put her arm around Ellie. Secure and firm. “I can make it work, Ellie,” she said with almost too much confidence. Ellie really hoped she was right, because she refused to lose the one good connection she has anymore. Sam had torpedoed into her life like nothing had before. She just couldn’t let that go.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>